A number of riders have skipped the 2022 UCI Road World Championships for various reasons, but none more bizarre than Lawson Craddock.

The American rider did not receive a visa allowing him to travel to Australia. Rather, he did not make it in time.

In fact, his visa arrived 20 minutes after his flight to Sydney departed on Friday.

Craddock was originally scheduled to represent the US in the individual time trial, road race, and mixed team relay.

"Unfortunately, due to visa issues, I will not be participating in the UCI World Championships in Australia this year," he wrote in a statement.

"Due to complications during the process, my visa was delayed and was only finally approved about 20 minutes after my flight to Australia departed (I was not on board).

"It was physically possible to make it to the TT tomorrow, but I didn't think I would have enough time to fully recover from the Vuelta, travel, and jet lag to perform at my best. I am disappointed with the final result, but look forward to finishing the season on a high note with [BikeExchange-Jayco].

The reason for the delay in Craddock's visa approval is unclear. He reportedly applied for it over a month ago.

At the Vuelta a España earlier this month, he revealed that he had been denied a visa and appeared pessimistic about entering Australia to ride Worlds.

Eventually, he was allowed to travel, but his plane had already taken off.

Craddock's absence leaves just five U.S. riders in the elite men's road race next weekend. Neilson Powles will take the second time trial slot along with Magnus Sheffield, while Kyle Murphy, Keegan Swenson, and Scott McGill will be the others on the elite men's team.