Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) leaves Italy with a bad taste in his mouth after losing his race lead in Tirreno-Adriatico on the final day time trial.
The Brit slipped to second overall after the final 10km test as many predicted he would.
Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who sat second overall after six days, moved up to take the race win.
Yates rode a strong time trial and almost held on to his lead, showing improvement in what has always been his Achilles' heel, he lost the race by just one second to his Slovenian rival.
>>> Team Sky officially confirm takeover by new sponsor Ineos
"It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but we did the best we could," Yates said. "This time it wasn't good enough but there are plenty more races in the season. I've showed my condition is good."
He held the blue leader's jersey through the lower mountains of Le Marche and heading into the final time trial. However, he watched Roglič celebrate on the final podium in San Benedetto del Tronto.
"We were in the lead for pretty much the whole race," Yates added. "We won the [stage one] team time trial and went close to two stage wins, why shouldn't we be happy?"
The team opened up the race with a TTT win, narrowly avoiding a lady crossing the road with her dog and putting Michael Hepburn in the lead. Yates took over the next day and fought off all of his rivals but Roglič remained within striking distance.
"As I said, 25 seconds was not a comfortable margin and that proved to be true. I thought I rode a good TT, I did the best I could. The power was good. I saved a little bit for the way home but Roglič is a super time triallist and on a course like this, I just can't match him," continued Yates.
"You can always look back and see places where you could have gained some seconds, but that's always after the race. During the race you make decisions and you make choices and you have to live with them. I think we a rode super race. We took time were we could."
>>> Milan-San Remo: Start list, route, TV guide for the 2019 race
The Tirreno-Adriatico race organisers excluded any high-mountain finishes in favour of mixed stages that produced smaller gaps in the general classification.
"Hopefully they'll put some mountain stages in next year's race or get ride of this time trial," continued Yates. "Then I can perhaps win it."
Yates will lead the team in the Tour de France. He took lessons from Tirreno-Adriatico and made note of Roglič for his twin bother Simon, who will face him in the Giro d'Italia.
"We've shown that we can ride as a team and control the race. We've had a week here, controlling the race, that's all experience for races to come. A lot of the guys here will also do the Tour de France and so we've been bonding here and getting things right. It'll all help further down the line," said Yates.
"I exposed a bit of weakness in Roglič a couple of days ago and [Simon in the Giro] has to do the same and to just gain a bit more time before the TT."
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Conservationists accuse cyclists of damaging New Forest through 'illegal activities'
A six-week survey recorded 550 instances of cyclists riding off-track
-
Cyclist numbers overtake car drivers on key main roads, data shows
Cycling UK say that "vision and investment" is needed from local and national government to get more people on bikes
-
‘I learned about suffering’ - Egan Bernal and Adam Yates reflect on mixed Vuelta a España for Ineos Grenadiers
The British WorldTour squad left the race without a reason to celebrate, but have taken hope from the final Grand Tour of the season
-
Adam Yates and Egan Bernal share their thoughts as Primož Roglič leads Vuelta a España on first rest day
How are the Ineos Grenadiers leaders faring with two weeks left to race?
-
Egan Bernal, Adam Yates and Dani Martínez escape serious injury in Vuelta a Burgos crash
The Ineos Grenadiers leaders are using the Vuelta a Burgos as a warm-up race for the Vuelta a España later this month
-
Egan Bernal and Adam Yates lead super-strong Ineos Grenadiers team for Clásica San Sebastián 2021
The Giro d'Italia winner returns to racing for the first time since taking pink in spring
-
Adam Yates is the 'next British star' says Sir Bradley Wiggins
Sir Bradley Wiggins threw buckets of praise at Ineos Grenadiers after they dominated the recent Volta a Catalunya taking all three spots on the podium with Adam Yates taking the overall title
-
'It's an environment that helps you win, but I'm still the same guy': Scintillating early form not down to dramatic changes at Ineos Grenadiers, says Adam Yates
The Brit took his first victory for his new team, but says he's stuck to what he knows in order reach top form
-
Adam Yates dominates to take victory on stage three of Volta a Catalunya 2021
Adam Yates came out on top on stage three of Volta a Catalunya 2021 up the Vallter 200 climb finishing solo ahead of Esteban Cháves and Alejandro Valverde.
-
Filippo Ganna says he's 'not a robot' after losing first time trial in over a year
Filippo Ganna says that he is "human, not a robot" after losing his first time trial in over a year on the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico 2021 in San Benedetto del Tronto.
