Michael Storer has cut a despondent and exhausted figure after seeing his lead in the Tour of the Alps disappear on the penultimate stage in Austria -- but the valiant Australian is still in prime position to achieve the biggest triumph of his career.
The Perth rider produced another superlative ride, giving everything in a solo effort to protect his overnight 41-second lead on Thursday's 162.7km fourth 'queen' stage as he was forced to chase down a brilliant opportunist breakaway by inspired Dutch stage winner Thymen Arensman.
Team Ineos rider Arensman had a magnificent day on a rain-hit mountainous slog from Sillian to Obertilliach, opening up a four-minute lead over his chasers at one point as he caught Storer's Tudor Pro outfit on the hop and forced the Aussie to have to eventually go it alone in pursuit to save his leader's green jersey.
The 28-year-old Storer did a fantastic job, narrowing the gap to nearly a minute at one point before his efforts began to tell and he ended the stage third, one minute 23 seconds behind Arensman and five seconds adrift of Canadian Derek Gee.
It meant Storer had surrendered his lead and will go into Friday's final stage now just 11 seconds behind.
It's a margin so slender that new leader Arensman believes it may well still not be enough to stop the Australian prevailing in a final 122.2km slog around the Austrian town of Lienz full of tough, sharp ascents that will suit a pure climber like Storer.
"I think Michael's in the shape of his life and it's going to be really hard to keep him behind," said Arensman, recognising a man in rare form after Storer's fantastic stage win in the snow at Paris-Nice.
"I will try my best, but it's going to be really hard with the shape that Michael's in."
But it remains to be seen just how much Thursday's efforts took out of Storer as he slumped, seemingly completely drained, after the stage, and even had to be helped taking his helmet off.
He didn't fancy speaking after the ride, but his mind will doubtless be racing back to the 2022 edition which also finished in the Tyrolean town of Lienz, where he finished runner-up to Romain Bardet while Arensman finished third overall.
Storer may well start as the favourite this time, though, as there seems to be general agreement that he's looked the strongest rider all week. It appears a two-man duel, with the Aussie now 2:04 ahead of the third-placed Gee in the GC standings.
Jai Hindley's bid for victory suffered in the tough conditions as the 2022 Giro d'Italia winner had to settle for 12th place on the day and is now ninth overall, more than four-and-a-quarter minutes behind.
