Luke Plapp is unlikely to make bold pre-race predications again, any time soon.
The young Australian star exuded confidence at last Monday's pre-Tour Down Under media conference.
The Jayco AlUla recruit said they were going for all six stage wins and the overall title - an unprecedented clean sweep at the Santos Tour.
Plapp's boldness was not unwarranted - he had just won his third straight road race title at the national championships, and also claimed the time trial there.
Jayco AlUla, Australia's only WorldTour team, had won five of the six elite titles at the nationals and were primed for the only Australian WorldTour race.
But they won no stages over the past week and a half in the men's or women's Tours and had no rider in the top five overall either.
Their sprint ace Caleb Ewan was sick before the men's Tour, as was teammate Kellan O'Brien, and then Plapp crashed out in stage three with significant road rash.
"I was realistic about the national championships - it's great to win and it's great to get those jerseys back, but it's not a WorldTour field," said men's team director Mat Hayman.
"At the same time, we came in here confident with the team we had and I'm proud of the boys, every single day they stood up and went after it again.
"It wasn't ideal. We've had our fair share of bad luck, but I can't commend the boys enough for sticking to the plan.
"If you get beaten by better riders, then sometimes that's the way it goes."
There was some good news for the men's team, with Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen scoring their first win of the season on Saturday night (AEDT) in Spain.
Now they head to next weekend's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Races in Geelong, with mid-week events in the area as well.
It is doubtful that Plapp will ride in the men's races, given his extensive injuries.
"Losing Plappy was a pretty big blow," Hayman said of his absence from the weekend's two key hilltop stage finishes.
"He's hopeful (of Geelong), but he's not a physician."
