DAVID MILLAR has denied claims that he was too ill to participate in the Tour de France after being overlooked by Garmin-Sharp.

The Scot, 37, had been expected to take part in his 13th Tour before retiring at the end of the season, but he will not be on the start line in Leeds on Saturday.

Garmin-Sharp sports director Charly Wegelius said after the final selection that Millar’s omission was down to him not being 100 per cent ready for the race.

“This year, we come into the Tour with a team built around Andrew Talansky.

Had David Millar been healthy, he would have been a phenomenal team member,”

Wegelius said. “We would have loved to have him.

“Unfortunately, as seen over the weekend, David is sick so we were forced to make a difficult and sad decision.”

Millar refuted this on Twitter, writing: “For the record, I was going to be ready for the Tour, so sad my team didn’t believe in me, after everything we’ve been through. Not cool.”

In another tweet, which has since been deleted, Millar expressed his fondness for the team as he directed his frustrations towards selectors Wegelius, Jonathan Vaughters and Doug Ellis.

“@millarmind: Garmin and Sharp, I love you. This is between me & @wegelius & @Vaughters & @dellisny (Ellis). I just wanted you to know,” he added.

Millar joins fellow Britons Sir Bradley Wiggins, Pete Kennaugh, Ben Swift (all Team Sky) and Alex Dowsett (Movistar) in missing selection.

After hearing he had not made the cut, he tweeted: “@ millarmind: I was selected for TdF last week, then they pulled me last night. Wiggo, Dowsett, Pete, Swifty, fancy a city break? I hear York’s nice.”

York will host the start of the Tour’s second stage on July 6.

Millar is now expected to defend his road time-trial title at the Commonwealth Games and he could also join Wiggins in riding on the track as the Tour reaches its climax in the Pyrenees and Paris.

Talansky, winner of the Criterium du Dauphine, leads the Garmin team and will be supported by Ben King, Alex Howes, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Sebastian Langeveld, Johan Vansummeren, Janier Acevedo, Ramunas Navardauskas and Jack Bauer.