Richardson under official investigation after alleged racial slur and unpleasant behaviour towards teammates
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Follow us on GoogleAustralian defector Matt Richardson, who now competes for GB on the track, has been confirmed to be under internal investigation after alleged misconduct and racially-motivated discrimination.
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Another scandal for Richardson
The track pro, who previously rode for Australia before switching to Team GB in 2024, which he was able to do as he was born in Kent, England, has been under fire before.
Scandal and feud followed his defection with accusations that the rider attempted to take Australian team gear, including his custom race bike. He was subsequently issued a life-time ban from representing Australia again.
There were also rumours that the decision had been brought about because he had recently begun a relationship with British track star and Olympic gold medallist, Emma Finucane.
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The GB rider has has serious allegations of racism and misconduct levelled at him
Probe launched, Richardson to leave team camp with immediate effect
British Cycling confirmed the 27-year-old Olympic medallist has been removed with immediate effect from the team camo. They announced this in an official statement but did not give a reason.
It was The Times that initially reported accusations that Richardson had made discriminatory remarks about people from minority backgrounds. Complaints were raised by a fellow rider.
It has since been reported that a probe has been launched into alleged misconduct, with The Times reporting his behaviour towards other riders, particularly his teammates, will be investigated.
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Richardson has left the camp with immediate effect
British Cycling refuse to comment further on situation
The organisation responded to the allegations that have been reported.
“British Cycling takes any allegations of harassment, bullying or discrimination extremely seriously,” its earlier statement said. “Where concerns are raised, they are investigated thoroughly through our established procedures.
“Out of fairness to anyone involved in an investigation, we would not comment on any ongoing process.”
They have also declined to comment to further enquiries made by BBC Sport, and The Guardian. Richardson similarly could not be reached for comment by either of these organisations.
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- The “king is dead” line feels premature. Pogačar has dominated this race for years, and one brilliant Seixas win doesn’t mean his reign is over. The article leans a bit too hard into the hype.patriciaw12-10-2026
- How does Seixas’s win compare with Gerbi’s in 1905? Was the race anything like the Lombardia riders face today?michael5412-10-2026
- Evenepoel finishing fourth while apparently struggling is still a solid result, though it’s surprising he couldn’t carry his European title form into the race.bikebuffj12-10-2026
- Nibali’s point about Del Toro racing Gran Piemonte makes sense. UAE needed him fresh for Lombardia, especially with Pogačar absent.jeremya12-10-2026
- Seixas looked completely in control on Civiglio. Winning Lombardia at that age is extraordinary; the comparisons with Pogačar are inevitable, but he deserves to be judged on his own ride.tourdeforce912-10-2026
- How can he race a mountain-bike event just 15 hours after Lombardia? Does that mean he had to recover on the way there? I’m still figuring out how these races fit together!sprocketspiny12-10-2026
- Winning Lombardia without Pogačar there is still a huge achievement, though the headline makes it sound like Seixas is already chasing him personally. Is there any indication he’s actually considering UAE for 2028?andrewf12-10-2026
- The UAE interest is worth watching, but he’s under contract through 2027 and Decathlon clearly have a major talent to build around. No need to rush the transfer speculation.samanthak12-10-2026
- He’s right to keep Pogačar as the benchmark rather than claiming he’s already there. Second at Strade and Liège, plus fourth on his Tour debut at 19, is an incredible platform.robert6512-10-2026
- Seixas attacking on the Civiglio and then lining up at Roc d’Azur the next day is wild. The win matters, but that appetite to race says a lot about him.julien12-10-2026
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