Ben O'Connor's dream of ascending the Giro d'Italia podium has taken a potentially fatal blow on the day the princely Tadej Pogacar deigned to let someone else prevail in a mountain-top finish.
The fourth-placed Australian star, who had identified Wednesday's 17th stage that climaxed atop the Passo Brocon as the ideal one for him to take back crucial seconds in the battle for third, ended up shipping over another 40 seconds to his key rivals.
Meanwhile, up ahead, it proved a wonderful day for young German prospect Georg Steinhauser, who ended race leader Pogacar's streak of stage wins with a courageous solo victory - but only because the great Slovenian decided to attack when it was already too late.
