A stage winner at the Giro d’Italia last season, Alex Dowsett was raring to go this season with the Tour de France – and a ride through his home county of Essex – the target.

The now former three-time British time trial champion certainly made a good fist of the early part of the season too, featuring in the break at Tirreno-Adriatico and proving there are more strings to his bow than just a strong time trial.

A chest infection, leading to breathing difficulties, has cost him his shot at the Tour however – and what would have been a debut in cycling’s greatest race. Below-par showings in the Tour de Suisse time trials were the first signs something was up, before a failure to finish the British national road race appears to have put the final nail in his coffin.

Vying for a Tour spot in a team boasting huge depth of talent was always going to be tough, and the opportunity of a debut in his home country has now gone. However, at just 25, there will be plenty of opportunities yet for Dowsett.