Steve Cummings has called for Rod Ellingworth to step down from his job with British Cycling after the Wirral born rider was left out of the Olympics team.
Ellingworth is involved in British Cycling and Team Sky who have four riders in the team Chris Froome.
I think we need a new coach because of a conflict of interest,” Cummings told Cyclingnews.
“That’s my opinion and maybe I’ll never ride for GB again but if that’s the way it is, then that’s the way it is. If you win the races I’ve won this year, in the way I’ve won them, and you don’t get picked then you might as well say what you think.
“I criticise the coach. I criticise the tactics, I criticise the selection criteria, and I criticise British Cycling.
“it’s not really a surprise when the Team Sky coach picks the team. I think the selection criteria just comes down to opinion, doesn’t it. It’s the Team Sky coach's opinion.
It’s just someone putting numbers in a box. This guy is good at this, this guy is good at that, but it’s just rubbish. It’s political. I had a conversation with Rod, he picks the team, and that’s his team.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to comes up and says ‘fuck I’m sorry you’re not in the team’. It’s a genuine disbelief so it’s not just me thinking that I’m hard done by. It is what it is.
“They marked me down on commitment. I asked why and they said that they needed to think what if it rained. Then I said that it snowed in Liège [Bastogne-Liège] but that I was still there in the final. Basically it’s an opinion. They mark you on physical, tactical, and whatever so you put the number down how you want to make sure he comes out with more points than the other guy. You question my commitment but then I question the commitment of the guy who stopped in the Tour de France last year.”
British Cycling said in a statement: “The decision on who is nominated to represent Great Britain for major events is made by a selection panel. The panel consider recommendations from coaches but the coaches do not make the nomination decisions.
"It's testament to the strength of British Cycling's road team that riders with the calibre of Steve Cummings have not made selection for the Rio Olympic Games. Whilst obviously we understand that Steve is disappointed not to have made selection, unfortunately there's only a finite number of places on the team and the selectors have the difficult decision of tactically deciding who will make up the team most likely to be medal competitive in line with the challenges of the course."