Giulio Pellizzari started the Giro d'Italia as Italy's great GC hope, but the 22-year-old heads into the final weekend on the fringes of the top 20, half an hour down on champion-elect Jonas Vingegaard.
The Italian has said that he "can just enjoy" the remaining days of the Giro, having recalibrated his goals to support Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate and podium hopeful Jai Hindley.
Both riders suffered from illness earlier in the race, but Pellizzari said on Wednesday that his continued problems have simply been down to having "no legs" on recent stages to Carì and Andalo.
"I was thinking that my problems went away in the last two days after Pila [stage 14 – Ed.], especially. But I don't want to find some excuse. I think it's just no legs," Pellizzari told CyclingPro.
"After the Giro, we will have some time to think what has happened in the Giro and think about what we can do better in the next years.
"I'm relaxing a bit. It was really hard days the last week. From Blockhaus, everything went so shit, but now everything is over, and I can just enjoy it. For sure, it will be hard, but I have just to enjoy the last days of the Giro."
Pellizzari won the Tour of the Alps before heading to the Giro, and he has scored some good results this month, including three top-five placings in Veliko Tarnovo, Blockhaus, and Pila.
Now, though, his attention will turn towards helping Hindley, who lies fourth overall, 33 seconds off third-placed Thymen Arensman and 57 down on Felix Gall in second.
"Of course, the Giro is not over. I'm still here because I want to do something for the team, because they helped me a lot," Pellizzari said.
"Jai is fighting for the podium. He's one minute behind Gall, so I think we can have a good chance with him, and we will try to help. They helped a lot in this Giro, and I have to give back what they gave to me."
Thursday's stage 18 isn't set to be a GC-focussed day, with the 171km route largely sticking to the valley roads through the Dolomites south to Pieve di Soligo.
Pellizzari will likely be called into action in the coming days, however, with the queen stage 19 through the Dolomites and the final summit finish at Piancavallo on stage 20 set to play a decisive role for the final GC.
"Jonas, we don't have to look too much to him because we know how strong he is," Pellizzari said of Vingegaard, who is four minutes clear of Gall and the rest.
"I think behind him, there's a good fight between Arensman, Gall and Jai. Jai is pretty good and going always better, so we can be confident and we will try everything to put him on the podium."
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