Tour de France snubs – The most controversial rider non-selections

Tour de France snubs include Mark Cavendish, Brad Wiggins and Chris Froome
Mark Cavendish, Brad Wiggins and Chris Froome are three of the most controversial Tour de France omissions in history (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Every professional cyclist has one major goal: make their team's roster for the Tour de France. Most top riders expect to receive this honour but - as history has shown - that is not always the case.

Possibly the most controversial snub of recent years came in 2022 when Mark Cavendish didn't make the team with QuickStep-AlphaVinyl. This despite having won four stages and the green jersey the previous season and come one stage win shy of breaking Eddy Merckx's long-standing Tour de France stage win record.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.