Australian Olympic cyclist was given a lifetime ban by Cycling Australia for defecting to Britain as a new revelation emerges

Australia has failed to block cycling star Matthew Richardson from competing for Britain.

The Kent-born 25-year-old announced his decision to race for Great Britain in August, just weeks after winning three medals at the Paris Olympics for Australia.

AusCycling was outraged by Richardson’s defection and attempted to impose a two-year international ban on him under non-compete clauses in his athlete membership agreement.

However, such a punishment was deemed ‘legally unenforceable’ and Australia instead banned him from ever joining their cycling team again.

An AusCycling investigation also found that Richardson withheld news of his decision to switch countries from his teammates and coaches ahead of the Olympics.

He asked cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, to delay announcing his change of nationality until after the Games, a request that was supported by British Cycling.

Australian Olympic cyclist Matthew Richardson has been given a lifetime ban by AusCycle

It came after he announced he was leaving the Australian team to join Great Britain

AusCycling investigated the situation and discovered that he had requested that Cycling Australia property be brought to Britain

Richardson also “requested that AusCycling property, including a custom bike, cockpit and Olympic racing suit, be taken to Britain” after the Olympics but before announcing his decision.

“This represented an unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property,” AusCycling said in a statement.

Under UCI rules, Richardson was barred from racing for Great Britain at the Track Cycling World Championships last month, but he will be free to represent the country in major competitions from next spring.

Last Saturday he rode the Track Champions League in France for the first time as a Briton and won both the sprint and the keirin among the men.

Riders compete independently of their national bodies in the Track Champions League.

Richardson has faced widespread backlash from many Down Under, including Australian Olympic cyclist Katherine Bates, who likened his split from AusCycle to the “breakup you never saw coming”.

She added that other riders felt “ripped off” by the move.

AusCycle subsequently imposed multiple sanctions on their former rider.

Australian cycling star Katherine Bates (pictured right) said the defection ‘blindsided’ the team and left some athletes feeling ‘ripped off’

Bates added that Richardson’s decision “didn’t sit well with her” after Richardson went through the AusCycling setup

“Richardson will not be eligible to rejoin the Australian Cycling Team at any time in the future,” the agency said.

“He is also prohibited from using any substances associated with the Australian Cycling Team or its partners.

“Effective immediately, Richardson will no longer be eligible for AusCycling-related prizes.”

AusCycling executive general performance manager Jesse Korf further explained the organisation’s position on the matter.

“These decisions underline AusCycling’s commitment to the values ​​of the Australian National Team and our broader commitment to the principle of Win Well,” Korf said.

“Integrity, respect and trust are fundamental to our team and our organization 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.’

In August it was announced that the Australian star, who is eligible to represent both Britain and Australia due to dual citizenship, would defect to drive for Britain.

Richardson faced widespread backlash over the move, but hit back at critics who claimed ‘it’s my life’

Despite being born in Kent, Richardson had moved to Western Australia at a young age.

While Richardson had ruffled the feathers of many Australian athletes, earlier this year he hit back at his opponents and explained why he had chosen to part ways with the Australian team.

“I obviously understood that there would be a bit of bitterness around this decision, but at the end of the day it’s my career and my life,” he said. ABC.

‘Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It’s up to me whether I want to listen to it or not, and I clearly chose not to.

“Growing up, I saw the likes of Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny win gold medals at the Great Britain Olympics, and those kinds of memories really resonate with a child,” he said.

“It kind of burned itself into my head, and it’s stuck with me ever since.”

Bates, meanwhile, said she and many other riders were stunned by the decision.

‘There are a lot of people who just can’t believe it and some personally feel quite let down because they were blindsided by it.

AusCycle subsequently imposed several sanctions on their former rider, including a lifetime ban

Others feel a bit ripped off because supporting him over the years has come at the expense of supporting other athletes.

‘I think the bond with your country is very strong.

“But saying that, I’m not sure why he wouldn’t have made this jump years ago.

“It doesn’t really seem like a good idea to me that if that was the case all along, he went down this path with AusCycling.”