Veteran David Millar will not be granted a Tour de France swansong after Garmin-Sharp confirmed the 37-year-old Scot has not made their nine-man line-up.
Millar, due to retire at the end of the year, had Tweeted the news on Monday, after a cough had prevented him from finishing either the British national time trial or road race.
Despite claiming he was initially selected as part of Andrew Talansky’s supporting cast, Millar has been pulled from the Tour squad as a result of his performances – dealing another blow to British fans.
With Ian Stannard (Team Sky) and Steve Cummings (BMC Racing) already forced out of the race through injury, British riders have been hit by several non-selections.
Newly crowned British champion Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) was a surprise omission from Team Sky’s line-up, with Sir Dave Brailsford claiming the Manxman had narrowly missed the cut.
Sir Bradley Wiggins, who was crowned national time trial champion last week, had already told reporters he would not be selected, while Yorkshireman Ben Swift misses the chance to race in his home county, too.
And with Alex Dowsett (Movistar) and Scott Thwaites (Team NetApp-Endura) also missing the cut, despite being on their respective team’s longlists, just three Brits remain in the 198-strong field – unless Orica-GreenEDGE spring a surprise and select Adam or Simon Yates.
I was selected for TdF last week, then they pulled me last night. Wiggo, Dowsett, Pete, Swifty, fancy a city break? I hear York’s nice.
— David Millar (@millarmind) June 30, 2014
Welshman Geraint Thomas and his Kenyan-born Team Sky team-mate Chris Froome, alongside Manx Missile Mark Cavendish will be flying the flag for British hopes on the Leeds start line on Saturday July 5.
In Millar’s place, Criterium du Dauphine winner Talansky will instead be backed by compatriots Benjamin King and Alex Howes and fellow young rider Tom-Jelte Slagter.
Newly-crowned Dutch champion Sebastian Langeveld, Belgium’s Johan Vansummeren, Colombian ace Janier Alexis Acevedo, Lithuania’s Ramunas Navardauskas and New Zealand’s Jack Bauer complete the line-up.
DS Charly Wegelius told Sky Sports: “Unfortunately, as seen over the weekend, David is sick, so we were forced to make a difficult and sad decision.
“We are very sorry to leave David Millar home due to illness. We wish things were different.”
For the record, I was going to be ready for the Tour, so sad my team didn’t believe in me, after everything we’ve been through. Not cool.
— David Millar (@millarmind) June 30, 2014
Millar is due to compete at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games in his home country, where he will defend the gold medal he won in the time trial in Delhi four years ago.
He will join the likes of fellow Tour absentees Wiggins (England) and Kennaugh (Isle of Man) in Glasgow for the Games, which take place from July 23 to August 3.
Garmin-Sharp team for the 2014 Tour de France
Andew Talansky (USA)
Benjamin King (USA)
Ton-Jelte Slagter (NED)
Janier Alexis Acevedo (COL)
Ramunas Navardauskas (LTU)
Johan Vansummeren (BEL)
Sebastian Langeveld (NED)
Jack Bauer (NZL)
Alex Howes (USA)
