Mark Cavendish was back in action on stage four of the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday but could not help Team Sky in their bid for a podium finish.
The world champion was involved in a crash on Monday but endured a less eventful stage this time, with team-mate Geraint Thomas now seventh overall, 21 seconds behind leader Ramunas Navardauskas.
Lithuanian Navardauskas and his Garmin-Barracuda team-mates completed the 32.2-kilometre race around Verona in a time of 37 minutes and four seconds to take victory by five seconds ahead of Katusha.
Astana and Saxo Bank were next, 22 seconds back, while Team Sky had to settle for a disappointing ninth place, half a minute behind Garmin.
Garmin's success sees Navardauskas claim the leader's pink jersey from Taylor Phinney, whose BMC Racing team could only finish 10th.
American Phinney had retained first spot despite being involved in the same crash as Cavendish, but he struggled before slipping down to fifth place overall, 13 seconds adrift of Navardauskas.
Garmin now boast all of the top four riders on the leaderboard with American Tyler Farrar and South African Robbie Hunter both 10 seconds behind Navardauskas, while Canadian Ryder Hesjedal is one second further back.