Despite missing selection for the Olympic Road Race, Steve Cummings has said he would consider riding the event if he was to be called up as a replacement.

Cummings was angry at not being selected after his stellar season. The five-man team is Sky’s Chris Froome, Ian Stannard, Peter Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas, joined by Adam Yates of Orica-BikeExchange.

Cummings said there was bias as one of the selectors of the team was Rod Ellingworth, who works for Team Sky. Cummings said the selectors and coaches should all be replaced after the decision to drop him.

“If I get the call then we need to talk about it. I’m not really thinking about it. If it happens then I’ll think about what I need to do but at the moment it’s a difficult situation,” Cummings, fist reserve, told Cyclingnews when asked how he would feel if he was asked to ride.

“I’d have to consider it, of course. It just depends because I don’t want to go to the Olympics for a free t-shirt. I want to go there to do a job. We would have to sit down and discuss what the plan would be and if I feel that I can add something to that, then of course I’d love to go, but if I don’t think it’s the right tactic then it’s better that they send someone else.”

Cummings wants to ride in the early breaks at the Olympics, being a strong time triallist he thinks he could stay away and win with only five man teams making chasing very hard.

“I go back to what I said at the start; it’s a race with five men and I don’t think it’s wise to pull from the start," Cummings said. "It’s a different race. I’ll stick to that but I’m not the boss and I don’t do the selection. I only hope that if the call comes that we can discuss it.”

Pete Kennaugh is the rider many would like to see Cummings replace. He crashed out of the Tour of California and broke his collarbone. He will only make his return to racing at the Tour of Poland, with just a few weeks left till Rio.

Both Tinkoff DS Sean Yates and young Adam Yates himself are on the Cummings should replace Kennaugh bandwagon.

Sean Yates told Cyclingnews that “Steve did an epic ride” to win the Tour stage. “He put his statement out there for all to see. There’s no discussion. They should reverse the decision.”

When asked who he would take out, Yates replied: “Who is the guy who has not performed and been injured? It’s Pete Kennaugh. I love Pete Kennaugh but I think you should take the guy with the form. That’s my opinion.”