ALEX Dowsett admits injury scuppered his chances of competing at the Rio Olympics.

The Cock Clarks racer, who claimed a fifth senior time trial championship victory last month, suffered collarbone surgery earlier this year which forced him off his bike for several days.

Dowsett was left out of the Team GB squad for next month's Olympics, having missed the Giro d'Italia.

But the Maldon-born cyclist said although he was naturally disappointed at the news, he knew that it was on the cards.

And the Movistar rider already has one eye on the Tokyo Olympics, in 2020.

Dowsett said: “Yes I’m disappointed but I think I really knew Rio wouldn’t be on for me this year once I missed the Giro through injury.

"Getting confirmation by e-mail that I wasn’t going was quite brutal but because of my pre-Giro injury that really put me out of the reckoning.

“If I’d gone to Italy and won both TTs in that race then I’d now be disappointed.

"But the TT course for Rio will really suit a GC rider like Chris Froome and as he’ll be coming straight out of the Tour de France, he was always going to be a favourite for our one TT slot at the Games.

“But Tokyo isn’t that far away and it’s surely got to be more of a course that suits me."

Dowsett next major event is likely to be a ride in the Tour of Poland.

The 27-year-old's home race, the Tour of Britain is likely to follow that, before a ride in the Worlds in Qatar at the end of the year.

“I’ve not sat down with the team yet to plan out the rest of my season beyond Poland but I’m sure there’ll be other races for me to slot into as well," said Dowsett, who recently set a new British 25-mile record.

"But one of the biggest obstacles he’ll have to overcome should he go to the Worlds will be Qatar’s high temperatures.

“Yes, that’s something I’ll have to think hard about and work closely with my coach.

"Even something like having a bath in uncomfortably hot water can help you prepare for those temperatures and as I’d really like to have a tilt at winning the rainbow jersey as well, I’ll have to think about anything I can do to help my chances."