Matthew Richardson has brushed off a lifetime ban handed to him by Australian cycling's national body.
After winning three Olympic medals for Australia in Paris, the 25-year-old announced his defection to ride for Great Britain.
On Monday, AusCycling released a statement after investigating the nationality change.
They laid out multiple sanctions, including banning Richardson from competing for the country again and restricting him from using any resources associated with the Australian team.
MORE: Every Aussie cycling medal from the Paris Olympics
It was alleged he did not tell teammates or the national body of the planned nationality switch until after the Olympics, despite submitting paperwork to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) before the Games.
Following their review, AusCycling also alleged he attempted to take a custom bike, cockpit and Olympic race suit with him to Great Britain, which "represented an unacceptable risk" to their intellectual property.
Richardson was born in Kent, England, and relocated to Australia with his family aged nine.
He wore the green and gold as he progressed up the track cycling ranks, representing the nation at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
The sprint specialist has dismissed the sanctions imposed on him by AusCycling.
"I didn’t know it was coming," Richardson said at a UCI Track Champions League press conference on Tuesday.
"I found it quite interesting. I guess they were just keen to get one last final blow, one last final word. But ultimately, I had left three months ago.
"I’m not sure where the confusion, I guess, has come from, but I thought it was pretty obvious that, by wanting to ride for GB for the rest of my career, that would mean I didn’t want to ride for Australia for the rest of my career.
"It’s almost like you leave your job, and three months later, they go, 'Well, you’re fired'! It's like, 'Well, I already left'.
"It’s just words on a piece of paper, really, and they don’t really carry much weight for me."
Richardson's AusCycling contract featured a two-year non-competition clause, although the governing body conceded a ban would be "legally unenforceable".
He has already begun competing in his new colours, and is the currently leader in the UCI Track Champions League.
International regulations saw him sit out the World Championships in Ballerup in October, and will also see Richardson miss the European Championships in February next year.
After that, he will be eligible to ride for Great Britain at future world and continental championships.
