Luke Plapp has had to give up the race lead at Paris-Nice despite giving everything in a noble defence of the yellow jersey that earned the Australian champion plenty of plaudits.
Sean Kelly, record seven-time winner of the iconic week-long French race, was among those to salute Plapp's exhausting efforts to try to retain the jersey in Friday's 198.2km sixth stage.
But after finishing a weary 11th following the steep slog up La Colle sur Loup, Plapp, who dropped from first to third in the general classification now 34 seconds behind new US leader Brandon McNulty, admitted he had emptied the tank.
