Minutes after losing out to Fabio Jacobsen (Deceuninck-Quickstep) by a few millimeters in the sprint race, Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) stopped as he passed by the TV screen at the finish line to confirm his dreaded result.

"I came in second," Bennett told himself, as did a small group of reporters.

After winning the third stage by several bike lengths, Bennett finished second 24 hours later and took the points jersey. This hurts so much," he told Cyclingnews."

The Irish rider also revealed that he is suffering from an underlying physical issue that is affecting his performance. If I start climbing [like this] on stages where I have to reduce my power, I will not survive this Tour."

Regarding his positioning in the sprint, Bennett said he made some mistakes and paid the price for them.

"I couldn't get there. If you force it, it can make it worse, and I forced it."

"I was not able to get there," he said.

"The flow was gone, there was too much hard acceleration, and the other side of the roundabout ...... The roundabout that was in the book was not on the road, even though the route book said one side was blocked. So I did a reconnaissance and it wasn't there."

"But it was my mistake, I should have followed the other riders."

Regarding the underlying physical problems affecting his race in the Vuelta--despite his stage 3 victory--Bennett is puzzled and worried.

"I don't know what it is, but something is wrong," he told Cycling News. [I'm changing skinsuits, shorts, bikes, TT bikes, aerobikes.

On the Bink Bank Tour, where he won three stages, "Everything was perfect. And now I'm getting cramps on the climbs today. I didn't ride hard."

According to Bennett, the changes and differences between where he wants to be and where he is now are minute. But it does matter.

"It's a matter of millimeters. In sprinting, there is speed. But when you're doing 80 to 100 revolutions per minute for four hours a day, you feel it."

On the third stage, Bennett had a huge lead over his rivals, more than two bike lengths.

"I know, I know. But yesterday I had pain in the back of my leg, and when I tried to put the saddle down it hurt in the front. I need to do something about it."

"Yesterday [Monday] I got very sick on stage and saved my energy, so I think I had power when I went. In fact, that happens a lot."

As for stage 4, it is telling how Bennett was "in his element" in the finale, as he had no idea that several groups behind him were caught in a crosswind before he made a mistake and lost the stage. Although the points jersey is a consolation prize, Bennett said, "Losing it hurts a lot. It's the first time I've ever lost a sprint race, or rather, I always come out ahead in a close race."

"I've had a lunge and been about half a bike length behind. But if it's a dead heat, I've always done that."

It will be a long time before Bennett gets a chance to sprint again.

At least for the next few days, the sprinters will take a backseat as the Vuelta heads into the high mountains. The chances of a group dash on stage 8 are slim, but the next chance may come only on stage 11, Urdax, with the Vuelta just another week away.