The majority of the women's pro peloton took a knee during the national anthem at the start of the elite women's criterium at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Friday.

"Yesterday represented a monumental setback for the protection of constitutional human rights in the United States. For me, it felt wrong to compete in the national championship criterium on the very day this announcement was made and not acknowledge it," Brenna Ulai-Simpson (DNA Pro Cycling) told Cycling News.

"We athletes get a lot of public attention and respect. Taking the time to speak out against it, for myself and for the public who are there or watching, was not an option for me."

"I appreciated being able to exchange emails with Heidi Franz of Instafund and Alexis Ryan of Legion.

"The solidarity was powerful. I hope this gesture will inspire more people to take action: call their representatives, donate to the fund, and vote."

Ryan, Franz, and Ryan organized this moment of solidarity, which Ryan announced on his Instagram account prior to the elite women's criterium.

"To everyone in Knoxville, TN for the National Championships, we are planning a moment of solidarity this morning to overturn Roe v. Wade," she wrote. She added: "We plan to kneel during the national anthem. Please spread the word."

Earlier in the day, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, ending the constitutional right to access abortion services that had ensured constitutional protection against abortion in the country for nearly 50 years.

The ruling, handed down a month after a leaked draft opinion raised tensions, allows states to restrict or outright ban abortion procedures; about half of the 50 states are expected to introduce such restrictions or bans.

Thirteen states have enacted so-called "trigger laws" that ban abortion outright within 30 days of a ruling: Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, Wyoming Idaho, Tennessee, and Texas. The ban will take effect immediately after the Supreme Court decision, or after approval by the Attorney General, Governor, or legislature, or on a scheduled date within the next 30 days.

According to a BBC report, the Supreme Court was considering Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case challenging Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks. By ruling in favor of the state, the conservative majority of the Court effectively ended the constitutional right to abortion.

In a statement to Cycling News, USA Cycling, the nation's sports governing body, said it respects the rights of riders to express themselves in moments of solidarity.

"During the elite women's criterium event at the 2022 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, several riders knelt during the national anthem following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization... USA Cycling respects athletes' right to self-expression. USA Cycling respects the rights of athletes to self-expression. We encourage the media to engage directly with athletes."

Kneeling during the U.S. national anthem is a symbolic gesture against racism and was first used by American football player Colin Kaepernick in 2016 to raise awareness about the lack of attention to the issues of racial inequality and police brutality in the United States It was done. Since then, the gesture has been used in many sports to show solidarity.

Not all athletes who stood at the starting line kneeled; some chose to stand and put their hands on their chest.

"I think it is really important to be able to discuss an issue that is so controversial and so close to everyone's heart and emotions. There are many women who oppose abortion and many women who support abortion. If we can't sit down together and talk about it without getting mad at each other and without causing conflict, I think that is a very sad situation," Emily Newsom (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) told CyclingWeekly (in a new tab Open)." The inability to talk about things and the lack of civility is a big problem."

More to follow.