Some of the hotly anticipated showdowns of the 2026 Commonwealth Video games has been unceremoniously known as off with the information England’s Matt Richardson won’t journey within the observe biking.
The dash champion who represented Australia earlier than defecting to the nation of his delivery following the Paris Olympics in 2024 has been dominated out by damage, Group England introduced.
Richardson was racing in Japan and had been set to reach in Scotland simply earlier than the observe biking program in Glasgow will get underway on Thursday.
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He sustained an undisclosed damage after taking a nasty fall whereas using within the Keirin World Collection in Tachigawa.
“We want him a speedy restoration and sit up for seeing him again on the observe quickly,” the English workforce mentioned.
Richardson was set to compete within the males’s particular person and workforce sprints in Glasgow, organising a high-profile showdown together with his former Australian teammates.
“It is positively bizarre seeing him in GB equipment,” Australian sprinter Leigh Hoffman mentioned earlier than the withdrawal was introduced.
“On the time it simply got here out of nowhere, we might simply completed the [Olympic] Video games, introduced a number of medals again for Australia after which he went on vacation and by no means got here again.
“I am not likely going to be unhappy about it or something, I am simply going to deal with using my bike and I feel he does the identical as nicely.”
The Aussies typically performed down the match-up earlier on the Video games.
Matt Richardson (left) and Leigh Hoffman have competed earlier than, however on friendlier phrases. (Equipped: AusCycling/Mackenzie Sweetnam)
“I am excited to beat everybody on the earth, he is simply one other domino to fall, hopefully,” mentioned Hoffman, who received 2022 Commonwealth Video games gold and 2024 Olympic bronze within the workforce dash with Richardson.
“The Australia-England rivalry goes again very far with the Ashes and all our different sports activities. It is at all times Australia vs England, [but] for the Commonwealth Video games, we have got some actually stacked riders.
“Azizul Awang from Malaysia, who’s are available in nice type; Trinidad and Tobago, Nicholas Paul — there’s plenty of nice riders.
“However the followers are positively trying ahead to an Australia-England match-up.”
Hoffman admitted to being harm by Richardson’s defection after years using collectively.
“We might by no means skilled one thing like that,” Hoffman mentioned.
“You develop up racing with somebody and also you suppose you are each Aussies after which he is not. That is life.”
On the best way out the door, Richardson fired photographs on the AusCycling set-up — evaluating using in Australia vs England to attending a traditional highschool vs Hogwarts — a quote Hoffman chuckled about “biting [Richards] within the arse”.
