Ethan Hayter’s heartbreak caught on camera after Pogacar wins by 0.09 seconds

Then Tadej Pogačar reached the finish.

Just nine hundredths of a second separated them, with the Slovenian edging Hayter to the stage win and the first red jersey of the race.

Watching from the hotseat, Hayter was already on his feet as Pogačar approached the finish, staring intently at the screen. When Pogačar's time appeared, disbelief quickly turned to frustration. Hayter grabbed his head, shouted, slammed his hand against the armrest and then covered his face with both hands. A member of staff offered a brief pat on the back before he walked out, visibly devastated.

It was a raw end to what had been an outstanding ride.

Hayter had beaten Josh Tarling by four seconds over the technical 9.2 kilometre course through Monaco. With its tight corners and constant changes of rhythm, it was not a straightforward test of power and the Britton knew that suited him.

“The feeling was really good,” he told Sporza after finishing. “I was nervous all day, to be honest. But I started strongly and I could feel that I was going well.”

There was barely a moment to ease off, let alone check the numbers on his computer.

“I didn’t have time to look at my computer,” Hayter said. “I just went full gas and recovered whenever I could. I was really happy with it.”

He also felt his lighter build had helped on a course where every corner was an opportunity to gain time.

“Compared to the big time trial guys, I’m about ten kilograms lighter,” he said. “So it can help when there are a lot of difficult corners. Maybe that made the difference.”

For a long time, it looked as though it had. Tadej Pogačar was still three seconds down at the intermediate checkpoint.

That deficit sharpened the Slovenian’s focus, as he later revealed that his thoughts before the start had partly been with Josh Tarling, whose brother Finlay had died following a crash at the Volta a Portugal the previous week.

“I really wished he would win today,” Pogačar said. “Of course I was going to give my best, but it was kind of a strange moment. I was really rooting for Josh as well.”

By the time he reached the intermediate checkpoint, however, the name in front of him was no longer Tarling’s.

“I heard a different name. I heard Ethan Hayter was in front of me by three seconds,” Pogačar said afterwards. “Then I said, ‘Okay, I give it all, but no risk,’ and see what happens.”

The Slovenian found the time he needed in the closing section and crossed the line fractionally ahead.

It was enough for the stage win and the first red jersey of the Vuelta.

For Hayter, the margin was brutal. Victory would have been his first stage win in a Grand Tour. Instead, he was left with second place and the green jersey for Sunday.