OPINION: For his spectacular showing in just his second crack at cycling's most famous race, George Bennett's 2017 Tour de France result will be registered as a 'DNF'.
Whilst true, it's an incredibly harsh assessment.
The LottoNL-Jumbo rider was forced to abandon the Tour midway through Stage 16 this morning after a fever cut short his aspirations of a high finish.
Heading into Wednesday's stage at 12th place, Bennett was just 34 seconds off the Top 10 and was odds on to record the highest ever finish for a New Zealander in Paris, following Tino Tabak's 18th place in 1972.
Coming into this year's Tour, Bennett's goal was to get in the breakaway, and try and chase a stage win in the mountains.
Instead, helped by a couple of crashes to his team-mates, he became a real force in the General Classification.
It's easy to forget the 27-year old lost over one and a half minutes on the opening time trial, after crashing on the slippery streets of Dusseldorf. He fought back through his strength as a climber, attacking on the hills.
He finished seventh on Stage 9, giving a clear indication of his ability. Then came stage 12, probably the highlight of his race.
Bennett battled it out with the best in the business in the Pyrenees, matching the likes of three-time winner Chris Froome, Grand Tour winner Fabio Aru and French climber Romain Bardet.
Bennett even had a go at the stage win himself, attacking with 700 metres left as he looked to claim a famous victory. He was hauled in, but the sight of him going full gas in the exclusive yellow jersey group was something special.
He started to struggle on the last couple of stages, perhaps hampered by the virus that was starting to develop. In the end, it was too challenging to overcome, and a devastated Bennett had to withdraw.
While he won't be able to see them now, there have been plenty of positives after his break-through season.
In May, he became the first Kiwi to win a UCI World Tour event after triumphing in the Tour of California. His showing in France will have given his team directors plenty to think about, and he is now a legitimate option as a leader for future tours.
Bennett will now head home to Girona where he's based as he looks to recover from his illness. The Vuelta a España in August is likely to be his next challenge, where he is a certainty to feature in the hilly stages.
There have been some calls to suggest Bennett can one day win the Tour de France. While that's a big statement to make, he's shown his potential and proved he deserves the right to be up there amongst the elite riders.
During the Tour, Bennett admitted he struggled to adapt to the increased media attention and scrutiny. But judging by this year's performance, being in the spotlight is something he will need to get used to.
Henry Rounce is a radio reporter for Newshub.
