Alex Dowsett has started to move on from his enforced retirement from this year’s Tour de France.

As the race slipped past the half way mark last Thursday, the 195km stage to the top of Plateau de Beille proved to be a day’s racing too far with the 26-year-old still suffering and struggling from the side effects of the deep cut to his arm that nearly brought his race to an end on stage four.

Maldon-born Dowsett said: “I got back home on the night of my leaving the race but since then all I’ve been doing is resting and recuperating, trying to give my battered body a chance to put itself back together.”

The cut initially needed six stitches on the day of his crash and nearly a week later it was reopened and washed again and another four stitches put in.

The Movistar rider said: “My body simply wasn’t coping and was using all its energy just to work at trying to repair itself.

“I think it would have been better if I’d just had some road rash, I’ve got over that before, or I’d hurt myself so badly I’d been forced to retire there and then.

“But as I could still ride I was determined to do whatever I could but my body wouldn’t let me.”

Dowsett had his injury redressed during last week’s rest day and when racing restarted he felt better than he had done for a week.

But following his ride on the first day afterwards Dowsett was not feeling his best and on Wednesday’s stage Dowsett found that his renewed form had not been carried over.

He said: “The first 50kms was run off at a very high pace. I found that I could chug along but I had no top end power that I needed to cope with the three and four minute intensity bursts that were being repeated as the race hit the day’s climbs.”

Dowsett lost a further 33 minutes on that stage alone.

Come last Thursday’s dramatic day for Dowsett, things didn’t get off to a good start for him.

He said: “Let’s just say I had stomach issues. When we got to the first climb I was straight out the back.

“The team car came alongside me, took one look and very sympathetically told me to pull the pin once I got to the top of that climb.

“To be quite honest I was kind of relieved it was all over. I’d been suffering so much just to stay in the race.

“Short of crashing out of the race I don’t think there was any more I actually could do.”

But despite the disappointment, Dowsett will be there at the end of the this year’s Tour de France.

He added: “I’ll be going to Paris to see the end of the race this weekend and to join the end of the race team party.

“I know the team want me to be there as I have played my part in the team’s results in the race.

“Yes I’m gutted I won’t be there already having finished the race on my bike but that’s now on my list for next year.

“I know what I’ve got to do and I know I can do it.”