Just as an interesting side note. The women’s cycling team practised tactics in secret at Manchester velodrome for the Olympics. The guys they practised against were the junior and U23 male teams because they were better than the Olympic female cyclists they were due to face. Laura Kenny was one of those athletes, Bridges was another!!!
Women’s elite cyclists have been training with men as long as there’s been women’s elite cycing.
Jen Valente (who beat your Laura Kenny!) was doing men’s track races from as young as age ~13-14. I’ve had fun racing her for years. Much less often in recent years, but I raced scratch/points against her in 2020. (spoiler: I lost)
They were doing simulated racing. Rounds and finals etc mimicking the Olympic schedule. They were racing, but the point I am making is Laura raced Bridges as a male and lost.