Britain's Bradley Wiggins, the 2012 Tour de France winner, said on Friday he was "gutted" not to be selected for Team Sky to compete in this year's race.
Wiggins told BBC television that he would not take part in the race he became the first British rider to win, with his team concentrating its efforts on last year's winner Chris Froome.
"I am gutted. I've worked extremely hard for this throughout the winter and up to the summer," said 34-year-old Wiggins, who was support rider to Froome last season but did not compete in the Tour de France.
"I feel I am in the form I was two years ago.
"I've been working towards that all season. It's disappointing because it would perhaps have been my last Tour de France."
On top of his 2012 triumph, Wiggins has won four Olympic gold medals both on the track and the road.
This season the two rivals have been kept apart in warm up races ahead of the Tour which starts in the English city of Leeds on July 5.
Wiggins recently won the Tour of California and is set to start the Tour of Switzerland next week as Froome will build up to the Tour with the Dauphin Libere race which starts on Sunday.
"As it stands, all being well and Chris staying fit and healthy, that's the team," added Wiggins.
"Personally, it's disappointing but you can also understand why they have chosen this team."
Wiggins, who had been the lead rider since the formation of the Sky Team in 2010, said he was now considering his future.
"For the moment I'm considering all the options but as things stand I still haven't any offer from Sky.
"It's now quite clear next year that if I want to do the Tour, it is likely that I'll have to leave Sky."
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