Former Australian Olympic cyclist Matthew Richardson has been handed a lifetime ban by AusCycle, with the governing body coming down heavy on the silver medallist after releasing a strongly-worded statement.
On Monday, Australia’s cycling body published its ‘final review statement’ following an investigation into the events that led to Richardson’s defection to join rivals Great Britain.
The review took stock of how the 25-year-old, who won two silver medals in Paris, had acted when attempting to leave the Australian team, with AusCycling claiming his actions had ‘conflicted with the values of AusCycling, the Australian National Team and the broader cycling community.’
During their review process, AusCycling claims that Richardson, who was born in Maidstone in Kent, had also requested that he take equipment and property that belonged to the governing body to Great Britain.
AusCycle claimed that this presented an ‘unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property.’
‘After the [Paris 2024] Games, but before announcing his decision, Richardson asked to take AusCycling property including a custom bike, cockpit, and Olympic race suit to Great Britain,’ a statement from AusCyling read.
‘This represented an unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property.’
The organisation also found that the rider had kept the news of his decision to leave the Australia team a secret from AusCycling and his team-mates, having learned he would be defecting to GB prior to the games.
AusCycle have subsequently imposed several sanctions on their former rider.
‘Richardson will not be eligible to rejoin the Australian Cycling Team at any point in the future,’ the body said.
‘He is also prohibited from using any resources associated with the Australian Cycling Team or its partners.
‘Richardson will be ineligible for any AusCycling-related awards, effective immediately.’
The governing body had also attempted to place a two-year non-competition clause on Richarson, but claimed in the statement that such a ban would be ‘legally unenforceable’.
He remains unable to compete for Great Britain at the UCI Track World Championships until early next year.
‘These decisions underscore AusCycling’s adherence to the values of the Australian National Team and our broader commitment to the principle of Win Well,’ Jesse Korf, executive general manager of performance for AusCycling, said.
‘Integrity, respect and trust are foundational to our team and organisation, and we remain focused on fostering an environment that upholds these standards.’
The governing body added: ‘AusCycling reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Australian cycling community and ensuring that all athletes, partners, and stakeholders embody the values of fairness, respect, and collaboration.’
It had emerged in August that the Aussie star, who is eligible to represent both the UK and Australia through dual-citizenship, was set to defect to ride for Great Britain – receiving widespread criticism for the move after having previously raced in a green and gold jersey at the 2020 Tokyo Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
More to follow…
