The 30-year-old was 10th, 2.25 seconds behind winner Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway.
Ryding was in joint-fourth place after the first of two runs but slipped down the field in the second run.
"I was feeling it in my legs between the runs," he told Ski Sunday.
"There was such emotion on Sunday and I just didn't have time to get everything back together.
"I know I had a little bit more in me but just couldn't get it out there.
"But, it's not an excuse, I'm still 10th and it's my fourth-best result ever."
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Britain's Dave Ryding followed his second place in the Kitzbuhel slalom on Sunday with his fourth top-10 finish of the World Cup season in Tuesday's Schladming night slalom in Austria.