Filippo Ganna, who had bemoaned the lack of podiums in the 2023 season, scored two in one day at the Volta ao Algarve on Sunday.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider minimized his losses with two mountain finishes and was considered a strong contender for the overall win after the final day's time trial, but settled for third on the stage and second overall.

When Gana returned to the bus after the ride, he appeared to have a problem with his bike. He showed the bike to a mechanic, who pointed to the rear wheel and spun it as if to suggest that it was not turning properly.

Ganna declined to discuss his day or potential problems with Cycling News, but later appeared at the podium ceremony and fulfilled his media promise with a brief response.

"It's okay, it's over. The week is finally over. When asked about his overall condition, he replied, "I'm happy. It's been a good week and now I'm thinking about recovery."

Ganna was 10 seconds behind stage winner Stefan Küng and one second behind second-place finisher Remi Cabaña (Soudal-Quick Step) on the 24.4 km Lagoa course.

He started 31 seconds behind overall leader Tom Pidcock, who made up for it, but another teammate, Daniel Martinez, took the title by two seconds.

"It may not have been a perfect TT for me, but I defended and tried to win the GC," Ganna said.

Dario Cioni, director of Ineos Grenadiers, pointed to Ganna's effort this week - including a brilliant breakaway in the mountains late in stage 3 - as a mitigating factor, along with the road conditions in Lagoa.

"He's riding at full throttle every stage, so it's normal that the TT doesn't go as expected," Cioni said.

"I don't know about his bike, but he probably hit a bump in the road surface or a pothole or something. There were a lot of holes and bits and pieces of the road. It was not an easy course."

Ganna, who was also runner-up in the Vuelta a San Juan in January and the European Track Championships before the Algarve, will next compete in the Tirreno Adriatico in early March.

What are his ambitions in Italian stage races? I don't know. I won't know until I start."