Alex Dowsett not picked by Movistar for Tour de France

Alex Dowsett will not be taking part in this year's Tour de France, as Movistar confirmed their nine-man roster for the race on Monday without the Essex rider.

Dowsett won the British time trial championship title on Thursday last week for a fifth time, but told Cycling Weekly after the event that despite his British title he felt it was unlikely he would be going to the Tour.

The 27-year-old cited a relatively 'under par' performance in the Tour de Suisse as a defining factor - and his fears of non-selection have now been confirmed.

>>> Tour de France 2016: Latest news, reports and info

"I was really under par at Switzerland," Dowsett said after the British time trial champs.

"It’s a lack of top end form. It’s a misjudgement in training. I have done a lot of threshold stuff and my time trialing at the moment is good but I’ve neglected the top end and that showed in Switzerland. It’s something that will come back so I’ll probably do the Tour of Poland.”

Dowsett rode for Team Sky during the 2011 and 2012 seasons, before switching to Spanish WorldTour outfit Movistar in 2013. He won a stage of the Giro d'Italia in his first year with the team, and overall victory in Bayern Rundfahrt and the UCI Hour Record in 2015.

>>> Alex Dowsett doesn’t expect Tour de France selection despite national time trial success

Movistar confirmed that Colombian Nairo Quintana will lead Movistar at the 2016 Tour, and he will be supported by a strong squad built around him that includes Spaniards Alejandro Valverde and Ion Izaguirre. Izaguirre won the Tour de Suisse time trial stage last week and placed second overall.

Quintana ranks as one of the leading contenders in the race along with Chris Froome (Sky).

The 2016 Tour de France starts in Mont-Saint-Michel on Saturday, July 2 and finishes in Paris on Sunday, July 24.

Movistar team for 2016 Tour de France

Nairo Quintana (Col)

Winner Anacona (Col)

Imanol Erviti (Spa)

Jesus Herrada (Spa)

Gorka Izaguirre (Spa)

Ion Izaguirre (Spa)

Daniel Moreno (Spa)

Nelson Oliveira (Por)

Alejandro Valverde (Spa)