Leading track cyclist Matthew Richardson has been withdrawn from Great Britain’s squad ahead of this week’s world championships, amid reports that he is currently under investigation following allegations of serious misconduct.
British Cycling confirmed on Monday evening that the 27-year-old was being sent home from the team’s training base in Shanghai, following a report in the Times which claimed to have uncovered concerns into his behaviour, including from fellow riders.
Maidstone-born Richardson controversially switched his national allegiance back to Great Britain in 2024, after securing two silver medals and a bronze while representing Australia, where he lived from the age of nine, at that year’s Paris Olympics.
In August 2025, Richardson broke the world record for the flying 200m time trial, becoming the first person in history to break the nine second barrier for the discipline. He also picked up European titles in the sprint and keirin in February, but has missed the last three months of racing following a serious crash in July.
The 27-year-old was named as part of Great Britain’s 20-rider line-up for the track world championships in Shanghai, which begin on Wednesday, with Richardson scheduled to compete in the sprint, keirin, and team sprint.
However, on Monday the Times published a story claiming that it had uncovered “concerns” about the sprinter’s behaviour, including evidence that he had apparently made “discriminatory remarks about people from minority backgrounds”.
It is understood that Richardson is currently being investigated by British Cycling and is in the process of travelling home from China. According to the Times, the governing body’s investigation was prompted by a complaint from another rider. British Cycling told the Times that it will not comment on the ongoing investigation.
“British Cycling takes any allegations of harassment, bullying or discrimination extremely seriously,” the governing body told the newspaper.
“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.”
In a statement issued last night, British Cycling also confirmed that Richardson has been withdrawn from this week’s world championships squad.
“British Cycling can confirm that Matt Richardson has been withdrawn from the Great Britain cycling team squad for the upcoming 2026 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, China,” the statement read.
British Cycling has told road.cc that it can not share any further details concerning the investigation.
On Tuesday, funding body UK Sport issued a statement supporting the governing body and its investigation into Richardson.
“We support the seriousness with which British Cycling is treating this matter and it is essential that proper and fair process is followed,” UK Sport said.
“The highest standards of integrity and athlete welfare are non-negotiable when it comes to UK Sport’s commitment to winning well.”
In 2017, UK Sport commissioned an independent review into the climate and culture of the British Cycling’s World Class Programme, following a series of allegations of discriminatory conduct, bullying, a widespread “culture of fear” within its cycling squads.
This recommended that funding be made conditional on various changes being implemented, including professional staff training “not only in relation to core disciplines but also in terms of equalities and discrimination.”
British Cycling accepted that many of its structures and procedures were lacking and agreed a 39-point action plan with the funding body.
“What we’ve done is taken a holistic view of the sports in terms of looking at their athlete cohort and their potential for the future,” UK Sport chief executive Sally Munday said in 2020, as she announced the body’s changing approach to funding and its move away from focusing purely on medal potential.
“We’ve looked at how they run their programmes, the cost of running their programmes, and we’ve looked at how they’re going to make sure that culture is at the heart of what they do.
“We’re very satisfied with the sports that we’re investing in that they are committed to having the right culture.
“We will work together with the sports to make it very clear that if you’re not going to put good positive culture at the heart of what you do, you’re simply not welcome.”
16 thoughts on “UK Sport supports “serious” British Cycling investigation into Matt Richardson as track sprinter dropped from world championships squad amid allegations of discriminatory conduct”
I guess you can take the boy out of Australia..
Guess it depends on what he says and whether his words have been twisted or taken out of context, but generally we should select athletes on the basis of their ability, not stuff they say, unless it’s against the law..
@jackcycles Unfortunately now, people are guilty until proved innocent. Mud sticks. I am not saying he is guilty or innocent, but it is the way of the world now.
@jackcycles this whole thing is culturally deeply disheartening. Richardson was snitched on by a woke ‘whistleblower’ teammate for exercising his speech. Now British cycling is obligated to take performative measures to safeguard their image given their sins of the past. And a young rider sent to ‘re-education training’, reputation slandered without trial and career derailed. Everybody loses.
Great job British cycling, propping up riders and then publicly throwing them under the bus.
@Blackthorne83 Please can you let us know what was said, as you apparently know that it was just “exercising his speech” [sic] and didn’t deserve any sanction?
@Rendel Harris obviously exercising his legs by spinning them really fast / lifting “extreme” weights is training for cycling, so wouldn’t “exercising his speech” presumably involve saying extreme things thus training for…
Of course since apparently only the poster knows what was said (and it’s also not beyond organisations to overreact…)? And it’s not impossible that things were said that sponsors – or the notoriously touchy Chinese authorities – might object to.
@chrisonabike “so wouldn’t “exercising his speech” presumably involve saying extreme things thus training for…” lol, that made me laugh, super logic.
@Blackthorne83 What do you mean by employing the term woke here? Are you using the original version and you consider the “snitcher” ‘awake’ and not asleep? Are you using the version historians use to highlight the deletion of African American history? Or are you using the term in the same way my racist reformer neighbour mantras it this past decade?
For context – I have asked my neighbour what he means when he employs the term publicly. His response was as melancholy as it was revealing.
@mark1212123
@Rendel Harris lol, yep, love it, too true, thanks.
@Blackthorne83
Have you an inside track or is this just supposition?
He’s not young and perhaps he is indeed an ar$e.
Maybe he’s a racist, maybe he isn’t. I’m sure it will all come out.
If you stick a national jersey on, there is an inevitable responsibility to think more carefully how you speak and behave. Don’t get yourself into a position of risk to start with.
@Nigel Garage Guess he’s finding out that real life doesn’t have an edit button, eh?
@Rendel Harris he should get back on road.cc now it does!
@jackcycles if what the Times has reported on is true, then there is certainly a legal aspect that needs to be investigated
@jackcycles Matt Richardson was selected based on ability, as were his team mates. Being part of the GB Cycling Squad is an extra high pressured, cutthroat workplace. Cyclists will disagree with each other and possibly dislike each other at times, but they should still be expected to treat each other with respect and decency.
It would however be really disappointing if Richardson’s bad behaviour has been going on for some time, not been addressed by team management and then come to a head just before the World Championships. The adverse publicity will probably affect the entire team, particularly his fellow team sprinters.
Exactly what has happened – he’s been deselected due to his apparent lack of ability not to say offensive, discriminatory, and disrespectful nonsense.