His mental suffering was only matched by the pain he felt in his left knee and hip from his crash on Friday that worsened by the time he set off in Saturday's time trial from Treviso to Valdobbiadene.

The result sheets after Saturday's rain stricken 'race of truth' laid out the cold hard facts about Porte's fate in this Giro that he began on May 9 as one of the favourites.

He was 55th on stage 14 at 4m 20s behind his Sky teammate Vasil Kiryienka who won, Porte was still 17th overall, but at 8m 52s to Spaniard Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo).

Contador, who was also in Porte's crash on Friday, took back the leader's pink jersey from Italian Fabio Aru (Astana) with a terrific ride on the hilly time trial circuit.

Behind Kiryienka was Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) in second place at 12s, while Contador, despite his injured calf from Friday's crash, finished third at 14s.

Aru, meanwhile, placed 29th at 3m 1s, to fall from first overall to second at 2m 28s.

For Porte, the results were just numbers really as he was left to question the wisdom of continuing in the Giro's last mountainous week to the finish in Milan on Sunday.

Saturday was another bitter outcome to an already problematic Giro for Porte who was slapped a two-minute time penalty for taking an illegal wheel change from Australian Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEDGE ) after puncturing on stage 10.

After he finished showering on Saturday, Porte watched the stage unfold with his teammates at a nearby hotel, but then later revealed to Fairfax Media that his future in the race was in doubt.

Asked if he would continue the Giro, Porte said that question would hinge on talks with Sky team principal David Brailsford and his coach Tim Kerrison: "I'm not sure.

"I'll have a talk with the team physio, Dave and Tim, but in some ways it might make sense and get out of here and look forward to the Tour [de France]. It's massively disappointing, but after [Friday], I was gutted. I was on the massage table, [with] things just sinking in. I don't think I did anything wrong, I've just been unlucky."

Pressed on the possibility that he might recover and instead go for a stage win, now he is no longer an overall contender, Porte said: "In theory yes, but the way my knee and hip felt today I'm just not sure. I think I may be making up numbers to be honest."

Porte said the difficulty of Sunday's mountainous 165km 15th stage from Marostica to Madonna di Campilgio that is highlighted with a summit finish was also a key issue that could force his hand, even though the Giro has a second rest day on Monday:

"The penultimate climb [the Passo Daone with 40km to go] … it is up there with Mortirolo [climb in Monday's 15th stage]. It is one of the hardest. We will just see."

Asked what was behind his poor time trial – his health, injuries or morale - Porte said: "I know where my form's at. I'm in a little bit of pain and I couldn't really push on the flat. I didn't really have it. It's bitter sweet with Kiryienka doing so well there.

"In 'recon', it was a time trial that I liked, it suited me. I'm not sure what' s going to happen now. I'm in a fair amount of pain. I landed on my hip and knee [on Friday].

"I'll just take it as it come and go see the physio. It's massively disappointing, so has the last few days [been]. I know the form I came into this race with. I had a bit of bad luck, but it wasn't bad luck today, I just didn't have it.

"I don't think it's a mental thing at all. I know it's not that. I was prepared for a fight … the last few days made me want to fight harder … [but] as soon as I started, I could feel the hip and knee."

Rupert Guinness is covering the Giro d'Italia as a guest of Eurosport. Eurosport is covering every stage of the Giro live up until its finish in Milan on Sunday May 31