@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ def __init__(
             # Given how the tests are written, this seems more likely to catch Cygwin
             # git used from Windows than Windows git used from Cygwin. Therefore
             # changing to Cygwin-style paths is the relevant operation.
-            epath = cygpath(epath)
+            epath = cygpath(str(epath))
 
         epath = epath or path or os.getcwd()
         if not isinstance(epath, str):
 
@@ -404,7 +404,9 @@ def _cygexpath(drive: Optional[str], path: str) -> str:
 )
 
 
-def _cygpath(path: str) -> str:
+def cygpath(path: str) -> str:
+    """Use :meth:`git.cmd.Git.polish_url` instead, that works on any environment."""
+    path = str(path)  # Ensure is str and not AnyPath.
     # Fix to use Paths when 3.5 dropped. Or to be just str if only for URLs?
     if not path.startswith(("/cygdrive", "//", "/proc/cygdrive")):
         for regex, parser, recurse in _cygpath_parsers:
@@ -420,11 +422,6 @@ def _cygpath(path: str) -> str:
     return path
 
 
-def cygpath(path: PathLike) -> str:
-    """Use :meth:`git.cmd.Git.polish_url` instead, that works on any environment."""
-    return _cygpath(str(path))  # Ensure is str and not AnyPath.
-
-
 _decygpath_regex = re.compile(r"(?:/proc)?/cygdrive/(\w)(/.*)?")