The number of British riders at the Yorkshire start of the Tour de France on Saturday is set to be lower than the last time the race started in the UK after Alex Dowsett was left out of Movistar’s nine-man team. The Essex time-trial specialist had expected to race but was hit by breathing problems, according to the team.

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

Dowsett had finished third in Thursday’s British time-trial championship and had failed to complete Sunday’s road race title, pulling out with 42km remaining. As expected Movistar will be led by the veteran Alejandro Valverde.

With Bradley Wiggins and Peter Kennaugh unable to make the cut for Team Sky, and it being revealed on Monday that Garmin-Sharp had left David Millar out of their team, that leaves three Britons confirmed for the Tour: the Welshman Geraint Thomas and the Kenyan-born 2013 Tour winner, Chris Froome, at Sky, and Mark Cavendish for Omega Pharma.

The Australian team Orica-GreenEdge have yet to confirm their lineup for the Tour but they were not expected to include either of their British prospects; the twins Simon and Adam Yates. Orica-GreenEdge have previously said that, at 21, they are too young to be thrown into the Tour.

In 2007, when the Tour de France started in London, the field included five home riders: Wiggins, Cavendish, Millar, Thomas and the Italy-based Charly Wegelius, who now works as a directeur sportif with Millar’s Garmin-Sharp squad.