A former cycling champ has come out as a transgender woman, the Scottish Sun reports.

Before transitioning, Philippa York took fourth place in the 1984 Tour de France and was named "King of the Mountains" for achieving the highest position over several designated climbs in the race.

York, 58, shared news of her transition and name change this week in a note posted on Cycling News, for which she is a regular contributor.

"Thankfully gender issues are no longer a subject of such ignorance and intolerance, there's a much better acceptance and understanding," she wrote, adding that she and her loved ones had been "subjected to the archaic views and prejudice that some people and certain sections of the tabloid media held."

While there has been some speculation concerning my gender over the past decade, perhaps it'll now be better understood why unwelcome and unasked for intrusions into that transition have been damaging not only to myself but to those I love.

Thankfully the people in my family who I cherish have since matured and grown into strong and independent individuals, therefore the need to protect them has lessened. This, combined with their support, encouragement and the shift in modern society's attitudes, means that this will be a step forward for everyone.

She is preparing to join the ITV4 team as Tour de France commentator, though had generally guarded her privacy since beginning her transition in the early 2000s.