VERBIER, Switzerland  A day after his chance at wearing the yellow leader’s jersey at the Tour de France slipped away, George Hincapie was still crushed.

“It’s one of the biggest disappointments of my career,” Hincapie said from the steps of his Team Columbia-HTC bus Sunday morning.

Hincapie, who rode with Lance Armstrong to help him win the Tour seven times, did not speak to reporters after Stage 14 on Saturday, when he was in a breakaway group and looked bound for the overall lead  until the peloton sped up and narrowed the time gap. He finished five seconds behind the race leader Rinaldo Nocentini, of Italy, in the overall rankings.

Some of Hincapie’s closest friends on other teams  including Armstrong of Astana and riders on Team Garmin-Slipstream  were among those who rode at the front to reel in Hincapie and his breakaway group. The 36-year-old Hincapie, in his 14th Tour, had worn the yellow jersey only once in his career.