Alex Dowsett has missed out on selection for the individual time trial at the UCI Road World Championships, but will aim for success in the mixed relay event.
The veteran has raced the men's time trial at the Worlds every year bar one since 2012 and collected three top-10s in total. However, Great Britain are leaning towards younger riders, with the two TT spots going to Dan Bigham and Ethan Hayter.
"I'm doing the mixed relay. Every year I try and get into the TT but this year I didn't make the cut," Dowsett told Cyclingnews at the Tour of Britain.
"There is always criteria for making the team. You either need to be a young rider who can medal or win in the future, which I'm not. Well, I'm not young. I still think that I could medal. Or you need to be a medal contender."
Despite missing the cut, Dowsett will continue to push for future spots in the men's individual time trial. He is well aware that his results in the event took a step back between 2019 and 2020 but there were mitigating circumstances.
Last week he helped drag Israel Start-Up Nation to fourth in the team time trial at the Tour of Britain and his form is building towards the final weeks of the year.
"I know that last year my numbers were well down because we got COVID wrong in terms of training. I did less power last year in Imola, which was half the course as Harrogate the year before," he explained.
"I did 390 watts in Imola, I did 400 in Harrogate. That was still for ninth. I'm a bit disappointed but I've done most of them so I can't grumble too much. I'll keep plugging away though. I enjoy the TT and it's where I started cycling. I don't do it for any other reason other than I enjoy it."
The mixed team relay at the Worlds was introduced in Harrogate back in 2019. The Netherlands came out on top, with Germany second and Great Britain taking third. This time Dowsett with join John Archibald and Dan Bigham on the men's side of the team.
The event was shelved last year due to COVID-19 but it returns in Flanders at this year's Worlds and Dowsett is a firm believer in the event's credibility and what it represents.
"I've put my hand up for it and Dan Bigham is spearheading it. It's a really cool event that has mixed opinions from the pros but that's because it's new and different. Bike riders don't usually like change," he said.
"I think it's a great event though and I think that it's really cohesive for the sport and it's where it needs to be in terms of equality. It brings the sport into the 21st century because cycling is so archaic. It's great to pull on a national jersey and it's something that I'm very proud of every time I do it."
