There will be no English riders competing in the Tour de France after Alex Dowsett was left out of Movistar’s team due to illness.

The Spanish team have named their nine-man squad for the race, which starts in Leeds on Saturday before travelling through west Essex and East London next Monday as it heads from Cambridge to the capital, but the 25-year-old has been left out after developing an infection during the Tour of Switzerland earlier this month.

“It’s so sad for us to leave Dowsett out of the team,” manager Eusebio Unzue said. “Despite his efforts, he couldn’t get to his best form due to breathing problems resulting from an infection he suffered.”

The Essex rider’s absence means there are set to be only four British riders in the 198-strong field – Ongar’s Mark Cavendish, defending champion Chris Froome, fellow Team Sky member Geraint Thomas and the vastly experienced David Millar.

You can see who will be riding for Movistar here.