Greg Van Avermaat (AG2R-Citroën) described his omission from this year's Tour de France, his first Tour de France absence in nearly a decade, as a "big disappointment" and insisted he is ready for the race.

The Belgian was expected to play a supporting role for the team's Tour GC contender Ben O'Connor, especially in the first week. Instead, Van Avermaert will not participate in the Tour for the first time since 2013.

The 37-year-old Van Avermaert told reporters Thursday afternoon that the Tour de France decision was very painful and that he would take a few days to think about what he wants to do in July.

The AG2R-Citroën rider said that his team was concerned that he might not be able to support O'Connor as well as he would like in the mountain stages and that he "panicked a bit" about that possibility. Team manager Vincent Lavenu told L'Equipe on Thursday that not choosing Van Avermaert was not an easy decision emotionally, describing it as a "heartbreaking decision."

"It was a hard decision to hear," he said, "I got a call yesterday from Vincent and Julien (Giardi, sport director) informing me that I was not in the Tour de France.

"They didn't tell me that I was 100% sure to make the Tour, but it was a surprise because I had the feeling that I wouldn't be able to replace them or that I would be left out of the team. The main thing is that I didn't climb well enough to support the team on the hard stages. That's the main reason I won't be in the Tour."

Van Avermaet strongly suggested that while the Criterium du Dauphiné appeared to be a credit to his climbing form, it was not the right event to assess his condition in terms of mountains.

He described the Dauphiné, which helped O'Connor to third place, as "a hard race with a lot of climbing, a preparation race different from the Tour."

"The Dauphiné was not an important race for me because previously in many races there were big blocks. I rode very well on the stages I could, but not enough on the mountain stages."

In the qualifying he said, "It was enough to finish the race, but not enough to achieve anything. Honestly, I feel ready for the Tour, maybe not as much as I did five or six years ago, but I feel ready.

Juan Avermaat was the Tour leader for eight days in 2018 after his former team BMC won the team time trial, and he retained the jersey in 2016 after winning a solo mountain stage in the first week. Also that year, he defied expectations by holding the lead on the first Pyrenean stage for three days.

Questions about his climbing form notwithstanding, Van Avermaert was certainly ready for the cobbled fifth stage to Arenberg. A former Paris-Roubaix winner, Van Avermaet previewed the stage with O'Connor and teammate Oliver Naessen in May.

"Of course, when you're at the Ricon, you know the stages and you know they suit you," Van Avermaet said. 'The last time I raced a cobbled stage in the Tour [2018, editor's note:] it suited me, I came in second behind (John) Degenkolb and extended my overall lead.'

"So to do as well there again was a good goal for me. Longwy, the sixth stage, I had finished fourth a few years ago. There are some hectic stages in Denmark, and a couple of mountain-free stages in between.

Van Avermaat has competed in the Tour nine times and said he knows what this race represents for himself and the peloton.

"The Tour is always a special race, if you like it or not, I like it, but once you're not there you miss it, once you're there it's hectic. But if you win a stage, that's what you get for your career. That's why it's important to be in the Tour as a rider and it would be a shame to miss it this year."

As for what he will do if he misses the Tour in July, Van Avermaet said he will take a few days to get used to it and then move on to other goals.

"This is the first time in my career that I was not selected for one of my favorite races. I need a plan that will allow me to achieve my goals and believe that I can have a good end of the year."

"Usually my season is Classical - Tour - Worlds, so it's not easy, and if the Tour falls through with this decision, it's not easy to refocus.

As for whether he will return to the Tour in the future, at 37 years old, it is by no means guaranteed, but Van Avermaert said, "I would like to return to the Tour next year."

"Of course, I need to be selected again. But the Tour is something special. If I'm not there, I will probably miss it.

"I know I had some great moments there and I know how special it is to be there.