Former Australian Olympic track cyclist Matthew Richardson has had his life ban after defecting to ride for Great Britain rejected because “just words on a piece of paper (that) don’t carry much weight to me.”
Richardson has come under heavy scorn after his post-Paris defection following revelations that he rode for Australia at the Paris Olympics, where he won three medals, knowing he would change his allegiance to the country of his birth.
An investigation by AusCycling resulted in a ban from ever riding for Australia again and heavy criticism of his actions.
While Richardson, who has already started riding in his new colors and has expressed how great he feels, admitted to a bit of ‘shock’ at the ban, he brutally dismissed it overnight with an insulting spray.
‘I didn’t know it was coming. “I think they just wanted one last blow, one last word,” he said.
‘I thought it was pretty clear that if I wanted to ride for GB for the rest of my career it would mean I didn’t want to ride for Australia.
“It’s almost like you quit your job and three months later they say, ‘Yeah, well, you’re fired.’ Well, I’m already gone.’
“They were just words on a piece of paper and they don’t hold much weight for me.”
Now: in his Great Britain uniform
Richardson brushed aside claims that he had threatened AusCycling’s intellectual property by asking to take his bike with him after Paris.
He said he was never concerned about a two-year global ban, despite AusCycling asking for it, because he knew it couldn’t be enforced.
The 25-year-old two-time Olympian said he had been ‘respectful’ and ‘grateful’ to AusCycling and had repaid their investment with his results.
“I have always respected AusCycling and am very grateful for everything they have done for me over the years,” he said.
‘And I really thought I had paid them back with results.
‘Unfortunately, some noise has been created, but I sleep well at night knowing that the noise does not come from me.
“Hopefully me and AusCycling can come to some sort of agreement in the coming years, but for now I hope they’ve had their last word, that we can put it to bed and enjoy the laps.”
Richardson spoke as the early leader in the UCI Track Champions League after beating top Dutch champion Harrie Lavreysen in the opening round in both the sprint and keirin last weekend, reversing Olympic results at the same track in Paris.