Froome opts to sit out British

Chris Froome will again skip the British Championships as he focuses on the Tour de France.

The leading cyclist won the Tour for a second time in 2015 and is aiming for a third triumph in the race, which begins on July 2, ahead of his bid for Olympic gold in the road race in Rio in August.

Geraint Thomas, likely to be a key lieutenant for Froome, pictured left, in France, is also absent from the June 26 event in Britain.

Team Sky colleagues Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe and Ben Swift are in the long list for the race, along with Mark Cavendish.