Philippa York (previously known as Robert Millar; born 13 September 1958) is a Scottish journalist and former professional road racing cyclist. York is one of Britain's most successful cyclists of all time. Competing throughout her cycling career as Robert Millar, York won the "King of the Mountains" competition in the 1984 Tour de France and finished fourth overall. York was the first rider from an English speaking country to have won the Mountains classification in the Tour de France.
Personal life
As Millar, York married a French woman, Sylvie Transler, in December 1985. No-one from York's family was in attendance, nor were any of her team-mates, who had no idea she even had a girlfriend. Panasonic team-mate Phil Anderson commented, "He 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 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 "[It has been a] very 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 [Panasonic] is 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 her insularity and eccentricity. At the time, rumours of her gender transition were largely disregarded. On 6 July 2017, in a statement on Cyclingnews, York confirmed her gender transition. She wrote that:  As much as I've guarded my privacy over the years there are a few, I believe obvious, reasons to why I haven't had a public "image" since I transitioned. Gratifyingly, times have moved on from ten years ago when my family, friends and I were 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.  York is the first former professional cyclist to have publicly changed gender.
Did Millar stayed married to her wife?
The couple were believed to have separated by the late 1990s.
The couple were believed to have separated by the late 1990s.