George Bennett has held on to eighth place overall after Stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia, but the Kiwi cyclist has lost more time on the top riders.
Bennett crossed the line in 14th, 1m 20s behind stage winner and pink jersey holder Simon Yates, who extended his lead to more than two minutes over Dutch rival Tom Dumoulin.
In the final 20km, Bennett made an early attack on the leading riders, but it backfired, as Yates struck back to claim his third stage win on tour.
"In hindsight, it wasn't a great move," said Bennett.
"I just saw a few guys drop and I thought it was a good moment, and I gave it everything. I was quite surprised with how hard that last climb was."
Bennett's chances of claiming the pink jersey appear all but over, as he now sits 5m 34s behind Yates in the general classification.
All the riders will have a much-needed rest tomorrow ahead of Stage 16 on Tuesday night (NZ time) - a 34.2km time trial from Trento to Rovereto.
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