Philippa York (born Robert Millar on 13 September 1958) is a Scottish journalist and former professional
road racing
Road racing is a North American term to describe motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held on a race track, closed circuit—generally, a purpose-built racing facility—or on a street circuit that uses temporarily c ...
cyclist.
York, who competed when known as Robert Millar, is one of Britain's most successful cyclists.
York won the "
King of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used.
While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest ...
" competition in the
1984 Tour de France
The 1984 Tour de France was the 71st edition of the Tour de France, run over in 23 stages and a prologue, from 29 June to 22 July. The race was dominated by the Renault team, who won the team classification and ten stages: Renault's French rider ...
and finished fourth overall. This success was the first time a British rider won a major Tour classification, and was unsurpassed as the highest Tour finish for a
Briton
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs modern British citizenship and nationality, w ...
for over 20 years until
Bradley Wiggins
Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins (born 28 April 1980) is a British former professional Road bicycle racing, road and track cycling, track racing cyclist, who competed professionally between 2001 and 2016. He began his cycling career on the track, but ...
was retrospectively placed third in the
2009 Tour de France
The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco. The race visite ...
. York started the Tour de France eleven times, finishing eight times.
York finished second in the
1987 Giro d'Italia and also won the
King of the Mountains classification. This was the highest finish by a Briton in the
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
until
Chris Froome
Christopher Clive Froome, (; born 20 May 1985) is a British professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI ProTeam . He has won seven Grand Tours: four editions of the Tour de France (in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017), one Giro d' ...
won the 2018 race. As well as the Giro second-place finish, York finished second in two other Grand Tours: the 1985 and 1986
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
. The second place at the 1985 Vuelta came after losing the leader's jersey on the penultimate stage, in what is widely thought to have been collusion by the Spanish-speaking teams. Further victories came at the 1985
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...
, the 1989
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
and the
1990 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.
After retiring in 1995, York moved into journalism, as well as spending a year as a coach for British Cycling.
She reduced her public commitments in 2000 following hostile stories regarding rumours of her
gender transition
Gender transition is the process of affirming and expressing one's internal sense of gender, rather than the sex assigned to them at birth. It is a recommended course of treatment for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria, providing impro ...
,
and after an appearance as Millar at the
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Manchester, England, ...
left public life altogether. In the 2010s, having transitioned to living as York, she returned to journalism, publishing under the name of Robert Millar, until a decision to reveal her transition publicly by appearing on television in 2017 in a commentary role.
Early life and amateur career
York was born and raised in
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, Scotland, as Robert Millar. At one time destined for a career as a factory engineer, York attended
Shawlands Academy
Shawlands Academy is a state secondary school in the Shawlands area of Glasgow, Scotland.
Admissions
Shawlands Academy was Glasgow's designated International School and one of Scotland's most multicultural schools. It was situated in Shawland ...
in the south of the city. In 2017, York revealed that she had first felt "different" aged five, but was unaware that this difference came from
discomfort with having a male body.
She initially began riding for Glenmarnock Wheelers
cycling club
A cycling club or cycling organisation is a society for cyclists. Clubs tend to be mostly local, and can be general or specialised. They can focus on cycle racing and/or cycling as a means of transport (utility cycling). In the United Kingdom, ...
and quickly established herself as a leading amateur road racing rider. She was relatively small compared to her competitors, meaning she had comparatively less weight to carry uphill and she excelled as a specialist hill and mountain cyclist. She won the Scottish junior title in 1976 and was Scottish
hill-climb
Hillclimbing, also known as hill climbing, speed hillclimbing, or speed hill climbing, is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course. It is one of the oldest forms of motorsport, since the firs ...
champion the following year. In 1978, York established herself on the British scene. She was twenty-first in the
Milk Race
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
, and won the British amateur road race championship. She moved to France in 1979 to join the
Athletic Club de Boulogne-Billancourt
Athletic Club de Boulogne-Billancourt or A.C.B.B. is a French sports club based in the Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. The club offers a variety of sports, but is primarily known for cycling, rugby union, judo, figure skating, and swimmin ...
(A.C.B.B.), one of Europe's top amateur teams, and quickly began winning races such the
Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers
Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers is a road bicycle race held annually near Lillers, a commune in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. The editions 1964–1995 were reserved for amateurs. Since 2005, it is rated 1.2 on the UCI Europe Tour. ...
.
In 1979, after retaining her British road title, taking fourth place in the world amateur road championship, claiming five wins in France and winning the French 'Best Amateur' Trophy, she turned professional for the
Peugeot cycling team, and as a
climbing specialist
A climbing specialist or climber, also known as a grimpeur, is a road bicycle racer who can ride especially well on highly inclined roads, such as those found among hills or mountains.
Role of climber in a race
In a sustained climb, the average ...
focused on single-day road races and stage races in hilly or mountainous
terrain
Terrain (), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientati ...
. York was happy to travel abroad and wasn't homesick. As Millar, she married a French woman and lived with her in France.
Professional career
1980–1982: early years
York's 1980 debut pro season included second in the Tour du Vaucluse to
Michel Laurent and eighth in a race in which she would finish in the top ten overall in her career seven times, the
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
. Returning home for the UK National Championship, she finished fifth.
In 1981 she improved one place on the year before with her seventh place in the Tour de Romandie. 1981 was her first prominent finish in another race in which she would again consistently impress, the
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. York finished seventh as per the Tour de Romandie and was the first of six occasions in which she would end the Dauphiné in the top ten in the General Classification.1982 saw York again finish seventh in the Tour de Romandie. In the second year of the under-23
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir () is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Felice Gimondi, Joo ...
being opened to professionals, York finished second to
Greg LeMond
Gregory James LeMond (born June 26, 1961) is an American former Road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. He won the Tour de France thrice and the UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race, Road Race World Championship twice, becoming t ...
.
1983: Tour de France debut
In 1983 York came second in the
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré with LeMond again finishing a place above her. With her impressive June showing in the Dauphine, York was selected for the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
for the first time. Any hopes of a high placing in the tour General Classification ended on stage three when she crashed losing seventeen minutes. 11 July was that year's tour first mountainous race crossing the Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin, and Peyresourde in the Pyrenees on stage ten. The only Pyrenean stage of that tour, York won the day six seconds ahead of
Pedro Delgado
Pedro Delgado Robledo (; born 15 April 1960), also known as Perico (), is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He won the 1988 Tour de France, as well as the Vuelta a España in 1985 and 1989. He finished in the top 10 of eighteen ...
. York finished fourteenth overall, twenty-three minutes behind the winner,
Laurent Fignon
Laurent Patrick Fignon (; 12 August 1960 – 31 August 2010) was a French professional road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, as well as the Giro d'Italia in 1989. He held the title of FICP World No. 1 in 1989. Fignon came ...
and sandwiched in between two riders who would figure prominently in her career,
Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche (; born 28 November 1959) is an Irish former professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming the second of only three cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de ...
in thirteenth and Delgado in fifteenth. York's debut grand tour gave her third in the mountains classification, one place above Delgado like in the General Classification with
Lucien Van Impe
Lucien Van Impe (; born 20 October 1946) is a former Belgian cyclist, who competed professionally between 1969 and 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France. He was the winner of the 1976 Tour de F ...
taking the polka dot jersey.
1984: York's best Tour de France
1984 saw continued improvement. In the early season
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional road bicycle racing, cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the ...
, she and her team-mates finished second in the stage four team time trial. Two days later York finished second on a stage ending on
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux (; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and h ...
putting her in the overall lead at that point. She ended the race in sixth overall behind winner
Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche,
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault (; born 14 November 1954) is a French former professional road bicycle racing, road cyclist. With 147 professional victories, including five times the Tour de France, he is often named among the greatest cyclists of all time. In ...
,
Michel Laurent and
Phil Anderson. In the
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
second stage at Crans-Montana she beat
Pascal Simon into second place. Roche won the race with York finishing in fifth. York took the mountains competition. York also enjoyed success in the
Grand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (referred to as just Midi Libre) was a multiple-stage road cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation co ...
winning a stage and finishing fourth overall.
Then came York's best
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
. Stage eleven again began at Pau. After crossing the climbs of the Portet d'Aspet, Core and Latrape, York won the stage finishing with a climb to
Guzet-Neige ski station. She was forty-one seconds ahead of
Luis Herrera with Delgado a further twenty seconds behind in third. York finished fourth overall (surpassing
Tom Simpson
Thomas Simpson (30 November 1937 – 13 July 1967) was one of Britain's most successful professional cyclists. He was born in Haswell, County Durham, and later moved to Harworth, Nottinghamshire. Simpson began road cycling as a teenager ...
's sixth place in the 1960s as the best British finish at the time) with Fignon winning for the second successive year and Hinault and LeMond also ahead of York. Kelly was a place behind York in fifth. York won the "
King of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used.
While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest ...
" polka dot jersey, the first time a native English speaker had won this jersey.
On 2 September was York's best finish in the
UCI World Championships
The UCI World Championships are annual competitions promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to determine world champion cyclists. They are held in several different styles of racing, in a different country each year. Championship winn ...
. Raced in Barcelona, York finished sixth with winner
Claude Criquielion
Claude Criquielion (11 January 1957 – 18 February 2015) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who raced between 1979 and 1990. In 1984, Criquielion became the world road race champion in Barcelona, Spain on a gruelling course. ...
, Claudio Corti and
Steve Bauer
Steven Todd Bauer, MSM (born June 12, 1959) is a retired professional road bicycle racer from Canada. He won the first Olympic medal in road cycling for Canada and until 2022 he was the only Canadian to win an individual stage of the Tour de Fr ...
taking the podium places. Other races that year included second in the
Tour du Haut Var
The Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, formerly known as the Tour du Haut Var, () is an early-season two-day road bicycle race in the Var department region in the south of France. Until 2008 it was run as a one-day race, part of the UCI Europe Tour. In 20 ...
to
Éric Caritoux and second in Nice–Alassio to Stephen Roche. York finished seventh in the
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...
, won by Kelly.
1985: the "stolen Vuelta"
In 1985, the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
was still held in its April–May slot as the first of the three grand tours of the season. York took over the race lead on stage ten, a stage won by Kelly. York held the lead going into what has become one of the most infamous days' racing in the history of the event. York started the day just ten seconds ahead of
Francisco Rodríguez with Spain's
Pello Ruiz Cabestany
Pello Ruiz Cabestany (born 13 March 1962 in San Sebastián) is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist.
Major results
;1980
: 1st Pursuit, National Track Championships
;1982
: 1st
: 1st Stages 8b & 11 Vuelta a Guatemala
: 1st Stag ...
65 seconds further behind in third. With the following day's last stage of the race little more than ceremonial, York said to the press, "I just have to stick to Pacho Rodríguez's wheel and it's done." A mountainous stage with three major climbs, Rodriguez tried but was unable to make any inroads on York on the first climb of the day, the Morcuera. At the foot of the second climb, the Cotos, York punctured, meaning once the puncture had been tackled York had to chase to get back to Rodriguez and Cabestany. By the time riders reached the third climb, Los Leones, York had not only reached Rodriguez and Cabestany but was also taking their congratulations, indicating their acceptance of the race being effectively over as a contest.
However, York was unaware that Delgado, in the mountains around his Segovia home town that he knew so well, had launched an attack. None of the riders in York's group made York aware of the attack by Delgado, an elite specialist climber like York, with the knowledge of the roads allowing him to descend aggressively. Delgado had support in his break from a second rider,
José Recio. Delgado had started the day in sixth place and six minutes behind York. Working with Recio, Delgado was now nearly seven minutes ahead of York on the road. York had no team-mates in the group with Rodriguez and Cabestany as they had been unable to keep up. Recio won the stage and Delgado took overall lead of the race by thirty-six seconds from York. With the race being referred to as "The Stolen Vuelta', from the collusion among the Spanish-speaking riders, York finished second overall. Peugeot directeur sportif, Roland Berland, said "It's rotten, the whole peloton was against us. It seems a Spaniard had to win at all costs."
L'Équipe
''L'Équipe'' (, French for "the team") is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of association football, rugby, motorsport, and cycling. Its predecessor, '' ...
's Philip Bouvet stated York was "the victim of a formidable Spanish coalition". York said afterwards "I'll never return to Spain". In the television documentary on the career of Robert Millar, "The High Life", York criticised Berland for his handling of the situation on the road when Delgado attacked, stating that Berland had been unable to negotiate support from other non-Spanish speaking teams during the stage to give York the required support to chase down Delgado's lead.
Earlier that year, York had come sixth once more in the early season
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional road bicycle racing, cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the ...
, with Kelly again winning in his run of seven successive victories in the event. In the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, York finished eleventh. In September, York was overall winner of the
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...
, taking the leader's jersey on the penultimate stage, a individual time trial at
Tortosa
Tortosa (, ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain.
Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hi ...
. York beat Sean Kelly, the previous overall winner, by three seconds. In the
Giro del Piemonte
The Giro del Piemonte, since 2009 known also as Gran Piemonte, is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Piedmont region, Italy. The race first took place in 1906. From 2005–2019, the race was organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Eur ...
, York finished third behind
Charly Mottet
Charly Mottet (born 16 December 1962 in Valence, Drôme) is a French former professional Bicycle, cyclist (1983 to 1994). He was one of the best French road cyclists of his era.
Career
Mottet won a total of 67 races, including the Tour de Roman ...
. In the Tour du Haut Var, York ended seventh, with Mottet again the victor. York was fourth in the
Grand Prix de Wallonie
The Grand Prix de Wallonie is an annual road bicycle race held annually in Wallonia, Belgium. From 2005 to 2019 it was organised as a category 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2021, it joined the UCI ProSeries, after being cancelled in 2020. ...
(won by
Marc Madiot). York was sixth in two races won by Stephen Roche, the Tour Midi-Pyrénées – now known as the
Route du Sud
The Route d'Occitanie is a road bicycle race with 4 stages held annually in Southern France. It was first held in 1977 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is usually held a week before the Tour de France ...
– and the
Critérium International
The Critérium International was a two-day Stage (bicycle race), bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in ...
. In the
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, York placed ninth behind a winning Phil Anderson.
1986: Vuelta runner up again
York changed teams in 1986 to ride for
Panasonic
is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Japan. It was founded in 1918 as in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Fukushima by Kōnosuke Matsushita. The company was incorporated in 1935 and renamed and c ...
. Despite her previous comment after the 1985 race, she again rode in the
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
. York won stage six from Santander to Lagos de Covadonga putting her into the leader's jersey. On stage eleven however, a time trial at Valladolid,
Álvaro Pino
Álvaro Pino Couñago (born 17 August 1956) is a former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist from Galicia (Spain), Galicia who raced between 1981 through 1991 and is most famous for winning the General classification, overall tit ...
took over the lead and retained this to the finish with York finishing second overall as she had the year before. The winning margin was one minute and six seconds.
In the Tour de France York was racing well even before the race reached the mountains with a third in the team time trial and ninth in the individual time trial on stage nine. York was placed tenth at this point. This improved further in the Pyrenees on stage thirteen from Pau crossing the Tourmalet, the Aspin, the Peyresourde and finishing at Superbagnères. York finished second on the day to eventual winner of the race, Greg LeMond. This placed York in fourth overall at this point and in the lead in the mountains competition. She retained this to the end of stage seventeen between
Gap and
Serre Chevalier
Serre Chevalier () is a major ski resort in Southeastern France, near the Italian border, located in the Hautes-Alpes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated to the northeast of Écrins National Park in the French Alps, the re ...
. However York was battling illness and began to spiral down the placings in a struggle just to stay in the race. In the stage twenty time trial, in contrast to the ninth place in the earlier time trial, York placed 112th over ten minutes behind the stage winner (Hinault). York started stage twenty-one in fifteenth overall but climbed off her bike to abandon the race before the conical final climb of the day up the
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (; or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2021, it had a population of 662,285.[Andrew Hampsten
Andrew Hampsten (born April 7, 1962) is an American former professional road bicycle racer who won the 1988 Giro d'Italia and the Alpe d'Huez stage of the 1992 Tour de France. Between 1986–1994 he finished in the Top 10 of eight Grand Tours. ...]
. York was sixth in the
Vuelta a Aragón
Vuelta a Aragón is a professional bicycle road race held in Spain in May of each year. The event was first run in 1939, and was not held between 2006 and 2017. The future of the race is uncertain; there had been plans to organise it again, but an ...
and seventh in the
Escalada a Montjuïc
The Escalada a Montjuïc (in Catalan, English: ''Scaling of Montjuïc'', Spanish: ''Escalada a Montjuïc'') was a one-day, two-stage road bicycle racing race held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain since 1965. It was held in the middle of October, as ...
.
1987: Giro d'Italia
In 1987 York rode the
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
for the only time in her career. The race provided high drama due to the controversy between two riders on the same Carrera team,
Roberto Visentini
Roberto Visentini (born 2 June 1957) is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist who won the White Jersey in the 1978 Giro, finished in the top 10 of the 1979, 1980, and 1981 Giro's, made the podium in 1983, wore the Maglia Rosa f ...
and Roche.
The two teammates battled each other, but the presence of York and her own Panasonic team-mate,
Erik Breukink
Erik Breukink (born 1 April 1964) is a former Dutch professional road racing cyclist. In 1988, Breukink won the youth competition in the Tour de France. In 1990, finished 3rd in the 1990 Tour de France. Most recently, he served as the manager of ...
, challenging for the race made this risky. York won stage 21 in a three-person breakaway with Roche and
Marino Lejarreta
Marino Lejarreta Arrizabalaga (born 14 May 1957) is a retired Spanish professional road racing cyclist. His biggest victory was capturing the 1982 Vuelta a España, a Grand Tour stage race, and he is the inaugural and record three-time winner of ...
. The result moved her up to second overall and gave Roche the win as Visentini fell, broke his wrist and lost six more minutes on what was to be his last day in the race.
York also took the climber's green jersey. In the Tour de Romandie, York finished fourth, a race won by Roche as was the Tour de France. York finished nineteenth in the Tour de France, although at the end of stage fourteen from Pau to Luz Ardiden York again enjoyed her zenith in the race when she was fifth overall. Like the year before she had been helped by a strong showing in the first individual time trial. However, York slipped to fifth, then sixth, before on stage nineteen she lost over fifteen minutes to slide out of contention. Elsewhere York was fifth in Liège–Bastogne–Liège with
Moreno Argentin
Moreno Argentin (born 17 December 1960) is an Italian former professional cycle sport, cyclist (from 1981 to 1994) and race director.
Born in San Donà di Piave (Veneto), Argentin won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, and the Tou ...
winning for the third year running. York was sixth in the Tour of the Mediterranean (
Gerrit Solleveld won) and seventh in the
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan language, Catalan) was a stage race, multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour ...
behind winner
Vicent Belda.
1988
In 1988, York joined the French
Fagor
Fagor Electrodoméstico was a large domestic and commercial appliance manufacturer based in the Basque Country, Spain and run by the Mondragon Corporation. Fagor was Spain's largest consumer appliance company and the fifth largest electrical a ...
team as had Roche and Schepers. York managed her best position in a one-day
'Monument' Classic, third in
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
behind
Adri van der Poel
Adri van der Poel (born 17 June 1959) is a retired Dutch cyclist. Van der Poel was a professional from 1981 to 2000. His biggest wins included six classics, two stages of the Tour de France and the World Cyclo-Cross Championships in 1996. He als ...
. York returned to the Vuelta a España and finished sixth overall with Kelly winning.
In the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, after struggling in the Alps, on stage fourteen she lost the opportunity of a repeat Pyrenees stage win in
Guzet-Neige. York led over each of the first two climbs from Blagnac. In sprinting uphill to the finish with Phillipe Bouvatier, both riders mistook a gendarme's signals, took a wrong turn and ceded the win to Massimo Ghirotto. York finished in second on the day two seconds behind. The next day York was again riding at the front when leading over the second climb but cracked and finished twenty-one minutes behind. Stage seventeen was the last she would complete that year.
High placings that year were second in the
Bicicleta Vasca included third in each of the Critérium International and the Route de Sud (
Ronan Pensec
Ronan Pensec (born 10 July 1963) is a former French professional road bicycle racer. He was professional from 1985 to 1997.
Racing career
Pensec was born in Douarnenez, Finistère, France. He became professional in 1985 with the Peugeot cycling ...
won). York was eighth in Volta a Catalunya and ninth in Paris–Nice.
1989: a third Tour stage win
York returned to one of her previous teams,
Z–Peugeot as it was now known and was second overall behind Mottet after winning stage seven in the
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. York was a stage winner in the Tour de Romandie and a runner-up in the Grand Prix de Wallonie to
Thomas Wegmüller
Thomas Wegmüller (born 28 September 1960) is a former Swiss bicycle racing, racing cyclist. He rode in the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España, won a stage in the 1989 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and was named the Most Combative rider on t ...
.
She rode only one grand tour for the first time since 1984, and she had her best placing in the tour since the 1984 race. She won stage ten of the
1989 Tour de France
The 1989 Tour de France was the 76th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The race consisted of 21 stages and a prologue, over . It started on 1 July 1989 in Luxembourg before taking an anti-clockwise route through Franc ...
from
Cauterets
Cauterets (; in Occitan ''Cautarés'', in Catalan ''Cautarés'', in Aragonese ''Cautarès'') is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department and the region of Occitanie in south-western France.
Toponymy
Histor ...
to
Superbagnères
Superbagnères () is a ski resort above the town of Bagnères-de-Luchon in the French department of Haute-Garonne in the Midi-Pyrénées region.
Overview
The resort offers alpine ski slopes and cross-country skiing from 1440 to 2260 m. The r ...
. York was first to the top of all four of that day's climbs scaling the Tourmalet, Aspin, and Peyresourde before the Superbagnères finish.
Charly Mottet
Charly Mottet (born 16 December 1962 in Valence, Drôme) is a French former professional Bicycle, cyclist (1983 to 1994). He was one of the best French road cyclists of his era.
Career
Mottet won a total of 67 races, including the Tour de Roman ...
was dropped from the three-person group approaching the finish leaving York to out sprint Delgado at the line. York was placed eighth at this point and ended that year's tour in tenth. In the autumn York was overall winner in the Tour of Britain with her decisive move coming in a long two-person breakaway with
Mauro Gianetti
Mauro Gianetti (born 16 March 1964 in Lugano) is a Swiss former professional road cyclist and later directeur sportif. Gianetti was employed as team manager for the cycling team throughout its existence between 2004 and 2011. In 2016, Gianetti c ...
into Cardiff. Gianetti took the sprint for the stage but York comfortably stayed in yellow for the rest of the race. Other top ten placings included eighth in the Tour de Vaucluse (Rooks won) and ninth in the Grand Prix of the Americas.
1990: Dauphiné Libéré
Victory in the
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré arrived in 1990. York was in a stage six, two-person breakaway with
Thierry Claveyrolat
Thierry Claveyrolat (31 March 1959 – 7 September 1999) was a French road bicycle racer. He was King of the Mountains in the 1990 Tour de France.
Racing career
Claveyrolat grew up in the shadow of the Alps in the Isère region near Grenobl ...
. Both riders finished in the top five in the leading group the next day. Stage eight was an individual time trial and despite strong time trialists being in the peloton such as Roche and
Toni Rominger, York took the overall title with Claveyrolat the runner up.
York was runner up for a second time in the Tour de Suisse with Kelly the victor that year. York was a stage winner in the Tour de Romandie (Mottet took overall prize). York took fourth place in the
Giro di Lombardia
The Giro di Lombardia (), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Cycling monument, Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in cycli ...
behind
Gilles Delion. In between, she also took second place in the 1990 Tour of Britain hampered by a crash on the last day. In the Tour de France York rode as part of the team intended to support the previous year's winner and reigning world champion, Greg LeMond. The Z team not only helped deliver the yellow jersey for LeMond but also won the team competition. York though was denied the yellow cap award from the competition her team led from stage ten onwards. Stage fourteen was the last she completed on the tour that year. This was York's third and last withdrawal from the eleven times she rode the tour. Other placings in the top ten that year included fourth in the
Vuelta a Andalucía
The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI ...
and ninth in
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne (, French for "The Walloon Arrow") is a men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Wallonia, Belgium. It is part of the UCI World Tour.
The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is ...
.
1991
York won a stage in the 1991 Tour de Suisse and finished fifth overall. That year was her best overall finish in the Tour de Romandie, second, with Rominger the man denying York the title. She was second in the debut edition of the
Classique des Alpes, fourth in the
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, fourth in the Tour of Britain and fifth in the Grand Prix of the Americas. She finished the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
in seventy-second place, the only one of her eight finishes in the tour that was outside the top twenty-five.
1992–95: later racing career
In 1992, York revealed her
vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
, which was an intention to improve her performance on the bike. "It's not a principle – it's a personal thing. I've read a lot of books about it". York completed the Tour de France in 1992 (18th) and 1993 (24th), and the Vuelta in 1992 (20th) and 1993 (15th).
In a time when doping was common and bans shorter, York tested positive for testosterone after a stage of the Vuelta a España, in 1992. She was fined £1,100, lost her third place on the stage, incurred a 10-minute time penalty and was given a three-month suspended ban.
In the final years of her career, she achieved top ten finishes in the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Giro del Piemonti and Liege – Bastogne–Liege (all in 1992), and the Classiques des Alpes and the Midi Libre (both in 1993). However, further victories largely eluded her. Her final major victory came in June 1995 when she won the
National Road Race Championship. However, soon afterwards, her French team Le Groupement went bust and York retired from racing.
After racing
In 1997, York became the coach of the British national team, and in 1998 managed the Scottish team in the
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
, an eight-day round-Britain stage race. She also worked in journalism, writing for several cycling magazines.
Absence from public life
York and her wife were believed to have separated in the late 1990s.
In 2000, a
tabloid news story reported that York, still known publicly as Robert Millar, was now living as a
woman
A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or Adolescence, adolescent is referred to as a girl.
Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functi ...
.
The story hurt York, who reduced her connections with cycling, though still kept up some writing
and appeared at the
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002, were an international multi-sport event for the members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth held in Manchester, England, ...
as Millar. Following this, however, she receded further from view and cut her ties with cycling. In 2007, journalist
Richard Moore wrote a biography of York titled ''In Search of Robert Millar''. After initially refusing to respond, York did answer some of Moore's questions via email, though abruptly cut off contact.
At the time, Moore wrote that "It is impossible to put a date on Millar's disappearance. It was more a fade-out than a vanishing act ... These days, Millar is in very occasional email contact with one or two former acquaintances," but called her whereabouts "a mystery."
Re-emergence
York partially returned to journalism in the 2010s, writing a blog for
''Cyclingnews'' and later writing occasionally for other publications including ''The Guardian''.
She remained a private figure, but following her announcement of her gender transition joined the
ITV4
ITV4 is a British free-to-air television channel which first aired on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV plc.
The channel focuses primarily on general entertainment programming targeting a male audience, including action series and films, ...
commentary team for the
2017 Tour de France
The 2017 Tour de France was the 104th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The 21-stage race took place across , commencing with an individual time trial in Düsseldorf, Germany on 1 July, and concluding with the Champs ...
.
In popular culture
During the mid-1980s York appeared in television commercials for
Kellogg's
Kellanova, formerly known as the Kellogg Company and commonly known as Kellogg's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, US. Kellanova produces and markets con ...
'
Start
Start can refer to multiple topics:
* Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air
* Starting lineup in sports
* Track and field#Starts use in race, Starts use in sport race
* S ...
' cereal. A one-hour
Granada Television
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...
documentary about York's 1985 racing season, entitled ''The High Life'', which also included appearances by
Allan Peiper
Allan Peiper (born 26 April 1960), is a retired Australian professional cyclist and current pro cycling team manager.
He began cycling at 12 years of age, competing on both road and track, with success. Selected for the Australian team, at the ...
and music by
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a guitarist, keyboard player, and vocalist prominent for his dis ...
, was screened in Britain on the eve of the
1986 Tour de France
The 1986 Tour de France was a cycling race held in France, from 4 July to 27 July. It was the 73rd running of the Tour de France. Greg LeMond of won the race, ahead of his teammate Bernard Hinault. It was the first ever victory for a rider outs ...
.
''Robert Millar – The High Life'' was rediscovered and screened, simultaneously with the release of the book, at Edinburgh Bike Week Film Festival on 26 June 2007. A DVD version of the documentary was released in 2008. In 2011, York (writing as Robert Millar) authored analytical opinions for ''Cyclingnews'' during the Tour de France.
In June 2021, a large mural was created by artist Rogue-One on a gable wall in
Lennoxtown
Lennoxtown (, ) is a town in the East Dunbartonshire council area and the historic county of Stirlingshire, Scotland. The Campsie Fells are located to Lennoxtown's north. The town had a population of 4,094 at the 2011 UK census.
History
The ...
, Scotland depicting an image of York as Robert Millar in the polka-dot jersey; the building is located at the edge of the
Campsie Fells
The Campsie Fells (also known as the Campsies; ) are a range of hills in central Scotland, stretching east to west from Denny Muir to Dumgoyne in Stirlingshire and overlooking Strathkelvin to the south. The southern extent of the range falls wi ...
where she trained as a cyclist specialising in hill-climbing.
Personal life
York married a French woman, Sylvie Transler, in December 1985. No one from York's family was in attendance, nor any team-mates, who had no idea York even had a girlfriend. Panasonic team-mate
Phil Anderson commented that she, "didn't seem to have the skills for getting on with men, let alone women". The couple were believed to have separated by the late 1990s.
As a cyclist, York had a reputation for being taciturn and could be uncooperative with the media. Jeff Connor, author of ''Wide Eyed & Legless: Inside the Tour de France'' was told to "fuck off" when requesting an interview during the 1987 Tour de France. When told this, commentator
Phil Liggett
Philip Alexander Liggett (born 11 August 1943) is an English people, English Sportscaster, commentator and journalist who covers professional Road bicycle racing, cycling.
He currently commentates on the Tour de France and bike races for ITV ...
replied, "That sounds like Millar, he's been really awkward with us in the past. Personally, I think it's a disgrace. He has a duty to his sponsor to represent the team and you don't do that by telling journalists to 'fuck off'." During commentary for Stage 23 of the 1987 Tour de France, Liggett stated "
t has been avery disappointing Tour for Robert. He has lost a lot of popularity, too, one has to say. He won't speak to journalists and the team itself
anasonicis also becoming discontented with Robert this year." York subsequently left Panasonic at the end of the 1987 season, to join Fagor.
York's disappearance during the 2000s was at the time attributed to these characteristics of insularity and eccentricity. At the time, rumours of a gender transition were largely disregarded.
On 6 July 2017, in a statement on ''Cyclingnews'', York confirmed her gender transition.
She wrote that:
York is the first former professional cyclist to have publicly transitioned.
She is not related to
David Millar
David Millar (born 4 January 1977) is a Scottish retired professional road racing cyclist. He rode for Cofidis from 1997 to 2004 and Garmin–Sharp from 2008 to 2014. He has won four stages of the Tour de France, five of the Vuelta a España a ...
, born in Malta but also Scottish, whose main success came in the mid-2000s.
Career achievements
Major results
Source:
;1976
: 1st Road race, Scottish Junior Road Championships
;1978
: 1st
Road race, National Amateur Road Championships
: 1st Overall Tour of the Peak
: 1st Scottish Hill-Climb Championship
: 2nd Overall
Premier Calendar
The British Cycling Premier Calendar Road Race Series is a season-long competition run by British Cycling. It comprises a series of road bicycle races for the country's top domestic road riders.
Organisation and events
In 2010 points were awar ...
;1979
: 1st
Road race, National Amateur Road Championships
: 1st Overall Merlin Plage Trophy
: 1st Paris–Évreux
: 1st Overall
Route de France (Under-23)
: 1st
GP de la Ville de Lillers
: 1st GP de la Boucherie
: 4th Road race,
UCI Amateur Road World Championships
;1980
: 2nd Overall
Tour du Vaucluse
: 8th Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
: 10th
Tour du Haut Var
The Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, formerly known as the Tour du Haut Var, () is an early-season two-day road bicycle race in the Var department region in the south of France. Until 2008 it was run as a one-day race, part of the UCI Europe Tour. In 20 ...
;1981
: 5th Overall
Tour de l'Aude
: 5th
GP du Canton d'Argovie
Grand Prix of Aargau Canton () is a semi classic European bicycle race held in Aargau canton, one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland.
The race consists of fifteen laps around the Swiss town of Gippingen, which belongs to the municipal ...
: 6th Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
: 7th Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
;1982
: 2nd Overall
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir () is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Felice Gimondi, Joo ...
: 7th Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
: 7th Overall
Circuit de la Sarthe
The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 H ...
;1983
: 1st Stage 10
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
: 2nd Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
;1984
: 2nd Overall
Tour du Haut Var
The Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, formerly known as the Tour du Haut Var, () is an early-season two-day road bicycle race in the Var department region in the south of France. Until 2008 it was run as a one-day race, part of the UCI Europe Tour. In 20 ...
: 2nd
Nice–Alassio
: 4th Overall
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
::1st
Mountains classification
The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used.
While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...
::1st Stage 11
: 4th Overall
Grand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (referred to as just Midi Libre) was a multiple-stage road cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation co ...
::1st Stage 4
: 5th Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
::1st Stage 2
: 6th Overall
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional road bicycle racing, cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the ...
::1st Stage 11
: 6th
Road race,
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
: 7th Overall
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...
: 9th
Clásica de San Sebastián
The Donostia-Donostia Klasikoa — Clásica San Sebastián-San Sebastián (San Sebastián Classic) is a one-day professional men's bicycle road race in northern Spain that has been held every summer since 1981 in San Sebastián. It is the m ...
;1985
: 1st

Overall
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...
: 2nd Overall
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
::1st
Combination classification
: 3rd
Giro del Piemonte
The Giro del Piemonte, since 2009 known also as Gran Piemonte, is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Piedmont region, Italy. The race first took place in 1906. From 2005–2019, the race was organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Eur ...
: 4th
Grand Prix de Wallonie
The Grand Prix de Wallonie is an annual road bicycle race held annually in Wallonia, Belgium. From 2005 to 2019 it was organised as a category 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2021, it joined the UCI ProSeries, after being cancelled in 2020. ...
: 6th Overall
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional road bicycle racing, cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the ...
: 6th Overall
Critérium International
The Critérium International was a two-day Stage (bicycle race), bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in ...
: 6th Overall
Tour Midi-Pyrénées
: 7th Overall
Tour du Haut Var
The Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, formerly known as the Tour du Haut Var, () is an early-season two-day road bicycle race in the Var department region in the south of France. Until 2008 it was run as a one-day race, part of the UCI Europe Tour. In 20 ...
: 8th Overall
Tour Méditerranéen
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
: 9th Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
: 10th
Road race,
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
: 10th
Clásica de San Sebastián
The Donostia-Donostia Klasikoa — Clásica San Sebastián-San Sebastián (San Sebastián Classic) is a one-day professional men's bicycle road race in northern Spain that has been held every summer since 1981 in San Sebastián. It is the m ...
;1986
: 2nd Overall
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
::1st Stage 6
: 2nd Overall
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
: 6th Overall
Vuelta a Aragón
Vuelta a Aragón is a professional bicycle road race held in Spain in May of each year. The event was first run in 1939, and was not held between 2006 and 2017. The future of the race is uncertain; there had been plans to organise it again, but an ...
: 10th
Grand Prix d'Isbergues
Grand Prix d'Isbergues is a professional cycle road race held in Isbergues, Pas-de-Calais
The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which ...
;1987
: 2nd Overall
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
::1st
Mountains classification
The King of the Mountains (KoM) is an award given to the best climbing specialist in a men's cycling road race; in women's cycle racing, Queen of the Mountains (QoM) is used.
While the title may be given to the rider who achieves the highest p ...
::1st Stage 21
: 4th Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
: 5th
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
: 6th Overall
Tour Mediterranean
::1st Stage 1
: 7th Overall
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan language, Catalan) was a stage race, multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour ...
;1988
: 2nd Overall
Bicicleta Vasca
: 3rd Overall
Critérium International
The Critérium International was a two-day Stage (bicycle race), bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in ...
: 3rd Overall
Route du Sud
The Route d'Occitanie is a road bicycle race with 4 stages held annually in Southern France. It was first held in 1977 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is usually held a week before the Tour de France ...
: 3rd
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
: 6th Overall
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...
: 8th Overall
Volta a Catalunya
The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...
: 9th Overall
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional road bicycle racing, cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the ...
: 10th Overall
Nissan Classic
;1989
: 1st

Overall
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
: 2nd Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
::1st

Mountains classification
::1st Stage 6b (
ITT)
: 2nd
Grand Prix de Wallonie
The Grand Prix de Wallonie is an annual road bicycle race held annually in Wallonia, Belgium. From 2005 to 2019 it was organised as a category 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2021, it joined the UCI ProSeries, after being cancelled in 2020. ...
: 3rd Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
::1st Stage 4
:7th
GP Bessèges
: 8th
Paris–Camembert
Paris–Camembert (also Paris–Camembert Trophée Lepetit or Paris–Camembert Lepetit) is a semi classic held annually in April. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The route of the race has varied over t ...
: 9th
Grand Prix des Amériques
: 10th Overall
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
::1st Stage 10
;1990
: 1st

Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
: 2nd Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
::1st Stage 5
: 2nd Overall
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
::1st

Mountains classification
: 2nd Overall
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
::1st

Mountains classification
: 4th Overall
Vuelta a Andalucía
The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI ...
: 4th
Giro di Lombardia
The Giro di Lombardia (), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Cycling monument, Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in cycli ...
: 4th
GP Ouest–France
: 7th
Grand Prix de Rennes
: 9th
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne (, French for "The Walloon Arrow") is a men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Wallonia, Belgium. It is part of the UCI World Tour.
The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is ...
;1991
: 2nd Overall
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
: 2nd
Classique des Alpes
: 4th Overall
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
: 4th Overall
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
: 5th Overall
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse () is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France, which is on the calend ...
::1st Stage 5 (
ITT)
: 5th
Grand Prix des Amériques
;1992
: 6th
Giro del Lazio
The Giro del Lazio is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the region of Lazio, Italy. From 2005 to 2008, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing ...
: 7th
Giro del Piemonte
The Giro del Piemonte, since 2009 known also as Gran Piemonte, is a semi classic European bicycle race held in the Piedmont region, Italy. The race first took place in 1906. From 2005–2019, the race was organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Eur ...
: 9th Overall
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time.
The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after th ...
: 9th Overall
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan language, Catalan) was a stage race, multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour ...
: 9th
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
;1993
: 2nd Overall
Vuelta a los Valles Mineros
The Vuelta a los Valles Mineros was a road bicycle race held annually in Asturias, Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de T ...
: 6th Overall
Grand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (referred to as just Midi Libre) was a multiple-stage road cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation co ...
: 7th Overall
Vuelta a Asturias
Vuelta Asturias is a professional cycle road race held in Spain in early May each year. The event was first run in 1925 but has not been held consistently until 1968 to present. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI ...
: 9th
Classique des Alpes
;1994
: 6th
Coppa Placci
The Coppa Placci is a semi-classic European bicycle race held between Imola, Italy and San Marino. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour.
The race is named after Antonio Placci, a cyclist born in Imola ...
: 7th
Coppa Sabatini
The Coppa Sabatini is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Province of Pisa, Italy. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2020, it was added to the UCI ProSeries
The UCI ProSeries is t ...
: 9th Overall
Tour of Galicia
The Tour of Galicia (; ) is an annual cycling race held in Galicia, Spain. It was first held in 1933 and was held a further five times between 1934 and 1984. The tour did not take place from the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, until ...
;1995
: 1st
Road race, National Road Championships
: 9th
Classique des Alpes
General classification results timeline
Honours
*
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame of Scotland, set up in 2002. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and National Museums Scotland. It is also funded ...
: 2003
*
British Cycling Hall of Fame: 2009
See also
*
List of British cyclists
*
List of Tour de France secondary classification winners
The Tour de France is a road cycling stage race held since 1903 over a current period of three weeks, although it was not staged from 1915 to 1918 and from 1940 to 1946, because of the First World War and Second World War respectively.
The winne ...
*
List of people from Glasgow
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
Former Tour de France cyclist Philippa York on her transition from Robert Millar Telegraph online 7 July 2017, retrieved 11 Apr 2018.
* There was no easy way of becoming Philippa,
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
, 11 Apr 2018, Sport pp 10–12.
{{DEFAULTSORT:York, Philippa
1958 births
Living people
British cycling road race champions
British Giro d'Italia stage winners
British Tour de France stage winners
British Vuelta a España stage winners
Cycling journalists
People educated at Shawlands Academy
Scottish cyclists
Scottish cycling coaches
Cyclists from Glasgow
Transgender sportswomen
Transgender women writers
Transgender journalists
Tour de Suisse stage winners
Scottish transgender women
Scottish transgender writers
Scottish transgender sportspeople
Scottish LGBTQ journalists
LGBTQ cyclists