Olympic cycling gold medallist Matt Walls was left "pretty banged up" after a horror crash at the Commonwealth Games.

Walls and his bike left the track and crashed into spectators at the Lee Valley VeloPark centre in London.

The 24-year-old Walls, who won an omnium gold at Tokyo 2020, needed stitches in his forehead but avoided major injury, British Cycling announced.

Competing for England at the Birmingham 2022 event, Walls was taken to hospital after the shocking incident on Sunday, which occurred in 15km scratch race qualifying.

He clipped another rider while attempting to avoid a clattering of rivals following an initial crash at a corner and was sent out of control at high speed.

Two fellow competitors, Canadian Derek Gee and Isle of Man racer Matt Bostock, were also taken to hospital, while two spectators received treatment.

Walls wrote on Twitter late on Sunday: "Thank you everyone for the messages and support! I've somehow come away with no serious injures just a few stitches and pretty banged up.

"I really hope everyone else involved is ok including the spectators that may have been injured."

Gee saw the funny side as he commented on a video of Walls dramatically crashing out, writing on Twitter: "Almost made the wall ride…"

However, Bostock was left shaken up, writing: "Big thanks to everyone who has messaged and checked in. Just want to let everyone know I’m okay. Quite battered but hoping to be back in time for the RR [road race] next week.

"Really scary crash, especially happy to see Matt Walls somehow came away relatively okay."

As well as his Games commitments, Walls competes in professional road cycling for the Bora-Hansgrohe team.

British cycling star Matt Walls was involved in a horror crash at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday when he and his bike left the track and crashed into spectators.

Olympic omnium gold medallist Walls, competing for England at the Birmingham 2022 event, was taken to hospital after the shocking incident at the Lee Valley VeloPark centre in London.

He clipped another rider while attempting to avoid a clattering of rivals following an initial crash at a corner and was sent out of control at high speed.

The venue staged track cycling at the London 2012 Olympics, and it had not previously seen such a worrying crash as the one that saw Walls career off course.

The hospital attention was said by team officials to be "precautionary", with Walls "alert and talking" after the crash, which occurred in 15km scratch race qualifying.

Two fellow competitors, Canadian Derek Gee and Isle of Man racer Matt Bostock, were also taken to hospital, while two spectators received treatment.

Birmingham 2022 added on Twitter: "Sending our best wishes to the cyclists and spectators who were injured at the Lee Valley VeloPark this morning and a huge thank you to our medical team for their swift action in helping those involved."

As well as his track commitments, Walls competes in road cycling for the Bora-Hansgrohe team.