Geraint Thomas has rejected Great Britain head coach Shane Sutton's suggestion that his decision not to ride in the Tour de France is wrong.Thomas, 25, has decided not to race on this year's Tour in order to focus on winning gold at the London Olympics.
Sutton claimed Welshman Thomas had made the decision for patriotic reasons and said he should be "more selfish".
"[The Olympics] is something that I've grown up wanting to win," Thomas said told BBC Radio 5 live.
Thomas helped GB win gold in the men's team pursuit at the 2012 World Track Cycling Championships in Melbourne and is set to be part of the pursuit team this summer.
With the Olympics starting on 2 August, less than a fortnight after the end of the Tour de France, Thomas, who won Olympic gold in the team pursuit in Beijing four years ago, will concentrate on attempting to become only the fourth Welshman to be a multiple Olympic gold medallist.
He conceded: "Being Welsh has definitely got a lot to do with it.
"I said at the start of the year that the Olympics was my main goal and I don't want to jeopardise my chances in that in any way.
"I felt the the Tour would have done that and it would have split my loyalties. It is disappointing to be missing it but at the same time the Olympics is just massive and it being in London is that little bit extra.
"If it wasn't in London maybe I would have stuck to the road racing."
After success in Melbourne, Thomas believes the team is growing in confidence.
He said: "There's a feeling in the camp that we're all starting to find our form and it's just getting that winning mentality back.
"Everyone's hungry and it's all moving in the right direction."
10 April 2012
Last updated at 22:02
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/17672238
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