Ben Healy put in another storming ride in one of cycling's most prestigious races, the Belgian Monument Liege-Bastogne-Liege, but had to settle for fourth in a race dominated for the second year in a row by World Champion Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step.
To put Healy's performance into perspective, only three other Irish riders have ever finished on the podium at Liege-Bastogne-Liege – two-time winner Sean Kelly (1984 and 1989), 2013 winner Dan Martin and Stephen Roche in 1985 (third) and 1987 (second).
"If you had asked me a couple of weeks ago if it would have been disappointing to finish fourth in Liege, I would have replied 'it would have been crazy', so fourth is a good result," said a philosophical Healy afterwards.
"I had good legs again today and made all the right moves. I was on Remco's wheel in the last hour of racing but when he's on that kind of form it's very hard to do anything about it.
"Fair play to him, he was flying. But I am happy too. It's just a pity I couldn't get on the podium again this week," he added.
Healy, a second-year professional with American team EF Education-EasyPost came into the race as an outsider, with all the pre-race talk centred around two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar and the eventual winner Evenpoel.
But that script was dramatically torn up after 80km when the former came down in a heavy crash and suffered multiple broken bones in his hand.
He is now in a race against time to be fit enough to challenge for this year's Tour de France, which starts in 10 weeks.
Healy, in contrast, was coolness personified throughout the early part of the race and with the help of his team was always towards the head of affairs as the kilometres ticked down.
With a large break of 11 riders eventually whittling down to three, eventual race winner Evenepoel made his decisive move with a trademark acceleration over the top of the brutally steep Cote de la Redoute climb.
Briton Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) gave chase and caught the world champion on the descent but on the next climb with around 30km to go, Evenepoel accelerated again and wasn't seen again before the finish.
The race split to pieces behind but Healy was joined by a clutch of others before eventually forming a neat coalition with Pidcock and Colombian Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious).
They worked well to wriggle free of a vastly diminished peloton behind, but against Evenepoel it was already a race for second as the Belgian extended his advantage up front.
Healy, following a brilliant performance last weekend to finish runner-up to Pogacar at Amstel Gold, was clearly feeling good and attacked inside the final kilometre in a bid to guarantee second.
It was a high-stakes move that paid dividends last weekend but this time Pidcock managed to claw him back and come around him for second, with Buitrago rubbing salt in the wound by nicking third.
Healy crossed the line completely exhausted but brought the curtain down on a super spring campaign.
He will now focus his energy on a debut Grand Tour at the Giro d'Italia, which starts on 6 May.
