It feels like an age ago since Juan Ayuso promised a journalist at the Tour de France that if Spain beat France in the World Cup he would wear his country's football jersey to the sign-on podium - but while Spain went on to win the Cup overall, Ayuso's dream of a top finish in the Tour now looks increasingly distant.
Following his difficult ascent of the Plateau de Solaison, where only the support from teammate Quinn Simmons stopped him from losing more than two minutes to stage winner Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Ayuso was once again soundly beaten by the Belgian 48 hours later.
