Tom Dumoulin's Giro d'Italia dreams were dealt a massive blow in Piancavallo on Friday as the Team Sunweb rider relinquished the maglia rosa to Nairo Quintana.
The Dutchman had battled valiantly to hold onto the leader's jersey in recent days - particularly on Thursday after an untimely toilet stop - but he was finally broken on stage 19.
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As Mikel Landa took the stage win in the Dolomites, Dumoulin was toiling nine minutes back, although it was the distance between himself and Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali that proved costly.
Twice Dumoulin fought back after being dropped on the 191-kilometre stage but a third fightback was beyond him and the overall lead slipped from his grasp.
"Stupid, very stupid," he said after the stage. "I was simply at the back of the bunch. It had nothing to do with a toilet break.
"The legs weren't there today. I made a rookie mistake and had to use a lot of energy to get back. The team saved me and helped limit my losses."
Quintana, Nibali and Thibaut Pinot all took time out of the 26-year-old, the latter breaking free from the leading riders to bring his deficit down to under a minute with two stages remaining.
Eventually Dumoulin finished over a minute behind his Colombian rival to slip to second overall, but he will retain hope of getting back on top with an individual time trial on Sunday.
GOOD DAY / BAD DAY
With a maiden Grand Tour title in sight it was a gruelling day for race leader Dumoulin as his legs were given a real test by Quintana, Nibali and Pinot.
He kept fighting but the final ascent proved his downfall leaving the Team Sunweb rider ruing a second successive day he has been dropped in the Dolomites.
At the very front there was joy for Landa 24 hours after being denied the stage win by Tejay van Garderen. The Team Sky leader strengthened his grip on the King of the Mountains jersey with two stages to go.
There was plenty for Pinot to be pleased with, as he brought himself within 53 seconds of Quintana at the top of the GC, prime position for the Frenchman after two impressive days in the mountains - he will hope for more of the same on Saturday.
STAGE RESULT
1. Mikel Landa (Team Sky) 4:53.00
2. Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) +1.49
3. Pierre Rolland (Cannondale Drapac) +1.54
4. Pello Bilbao (Astana) +2.12
5. Sergio Henao (Team Sky) +3.06
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) 85:02.40
2. Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) +0:38
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) +0:43
4. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) +0:53
5. Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha Alpecin) +1:21
POINTS CLASSIFCATION
1. Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) 325 points
2. Jasper Stuyven (Trek Segafredo) 192 points
3. Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) 117 points
KING OF THE MOUNTAINS
1. Mikel Landa (Team Sky) 224 points
2. Luis Sanchez (Astana) 118 points
3. Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) 104 points
UP NEXT...
The penultimate stage of the 2017 Giro is another long day in the mountains as the peloton face the 190km route from Pordenone to Asiago.
Two big climbs await them with steep gradients before technical descents and an undulating finish to complete stage 20.
