Kaden Groves got it all right to prevail in the sprint finale to the 14th stage as the Giro d'Italia had a warmly greeted stopover in Slovenia - but, alas for the Queensland speedster, it was only enough to earn him the runner-up prize for the day.
For 16 seconds up ahead in the finale to the stage at Nova Gorica on Saturday, Denmark's Kasper Asgreen, who'd got into an early breakaway, escaped on his own to steal the win which had looked tailor-made for the sprinters.
Groves, who had been looking for another win in the 108th Giro after victory on the crash-laden sixth stage in Naples, had to settle for second this time in the 168km trek from across the border in Treviso as the Alpecin-Deceuninck ace edged out Dutchman Olav Kooij, winner of Thursday's stage 12.