The 26-year-old was third fastest in the 200-metre qualifiers but lost in the men’s sprint quarter-finals to South Australian Pat Constable last Friday at Adelaide Super-Drome.

The Adelaide-based athlete finished up fifth, effectively ending his hopes of making Australia’s line-up announced on Wednesday for the March 2-6 world titles at London's Olympic velodrome. It is also a hammer blow to his chances of making the Olympic team. 

Also at nationals, Lewis took silver as part of the NSW elite team sprint and he was fifth in the keirin.

At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, Lewis was fifth in the keirin and fourth in the sprint but his chances of adding an Rio Olympic Games berth to his resume appear slim.

His father, Hunter District Cycling Club coach Glenn Lewis, said Peter would have a chance to push his claims at a category 1 sprint event in Adelaide just before the Games team was picked but “he really would have to do something special if he’s going to make it”.

“He qualified well but he didn’t race well,” Glenn said of Peter’s sprints at the national titles.

“They’ve focused their training on second-wheel, because Matt Glaetzer has basically got the spot for the sprint, so they’ve focused on the sprint team and second-wheel.

“That sort of work is detrimental to your other stuff. It’s been a hard few weeks and he’s quite disappointed.”

Meanwhile, newly-crowned national keirin champion Shane Perkins is the glaring name missing from the Australian team for the world championships.

The 20-rider team, featuring defending world champions such as Anna Meares and Annette Edmondson, will use the event as the dress rehearsal for the Rio Games.

Perkins was dropped from the national track program last year, but the 29-year-old was one of the stories of last week's Australian titles.

Due to his omission from the national program, the former keirin world champion is ineligible for the worlds because he has not competed at World Cups in the last few months. Perkins said after Saturday's win that it showed he should be allowed back into the Australian squad ahead of Rio.

There are several other big names missing from the team, but in less controversial circumstances.

Team pursuiters Jack Bobridge and Alex Edmondson were given permission to miss the worlds because of professional road commitments. They are strong chances to be in the track endurance team for the Olympics. Bobridge and Edmondson must attend an April team pursuit selection camp.

Melissa Hoskins, a member of the squad that won last year's team pursuit world title, also missed selection. Hoskins is still trying to regain form after a bout of pneumonia last year.