Rob Hayles has confirmed he withdrew from contention for the World Championship road race ? scotching speculation that the national champion was snubbed by British Cycling.

The Halfords Bikehut rider was second behind Alessandro Petacchi on two stages of the Tour of Britain last week.

?People are criticising BC, saying I have been flicked again, but that?s not the case,? said Hayles.

?I want to nip it in the bud. It was a mutual decision. The national champion hasn?t been flicked.

?I was on the short list and I would have loved to have ridden a few weeks ago, but I am very tired after the Tour of Britain. I?ve been racing really hard for a long while now. I?ve only really had one little break, after the Tour of Blackpool, since early summer.

?In a way I?d love to go to the Worlds just to experience it. I?ve never done a road Worlds and it?d be great to be a part of it. I?d turn myself inside out for the team, but I know I haven?t got it. I am knackered, especially after the crash on the last day of the Tour of Britain.

?Added to that, there is an illness in the family, which I don?t want to go into detail about and that confirmed my decision.

?I?ve got to look at the bigger picture too. There are the World Cups on the track coming up and going to the road Worlds when I am not 100 per cent is not the right decision for me.?

Hayles missed the World Track Championships in March when he failed a routine haematocrit test on the eve of the event. All the dope tests conducted after that result were negative. In August, he missed out on selection for the Olympic Games both on the track and the road.