Sergey Firsanov (Gazprom-RusVelo), Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates) and Mirco Maestri (Bardiani-CSF) formed the day’s break, and with such a long stage in store the peloton were happy to let them go.

The gap was just shy of seven minutes as they approached the Colle di Casaglia climb, though there was a flurry of action in the bunch as stage 11 winner Omar Fraile beat recumbent King of the Mountains Jan Polanc to claim the classification lead.

At the intermediate sprint, meanwhile, Gaviria was unchallenged from the bunch as he extended his lead in the maglia ciclamino.

It teed up the sprint finish, and Max Richeze dropped Gaviria off at the front – and from there, there was never going to be another winner.

Such was the lead-out, the Argentine finished fifth himself, raising his arms with his Colombian team-mate.

Gaviria will now have the chance to make it four stage wins on stage 13, a pan-flat route and probably the final chance for the fast men at this year’s race.

Giro d’Italia 2017: stage 12 – report

1) Fernando Gaviria (COL) – QuickStep Floors – 5.18.55hrs
2) Jakub Mareczko (ITA) – Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia – ST
3) Sam Bennett (IRL) – Bora-hansgrohe
4) Phil Bauhaus (GER) – Team Sunweb
5) Max Richeze (ARG) – QuickStep Floors
6) Ryan Gibbons (RSA) – Dimension Data
7) Sacha Modolo (ITA) – UAE Team Emirates
8) Andre Greipel (GER) – Lotto-Soudal
9) Jasper Stuyven (BEL) – Trek-Segafredo
10) Roberto Ferrari (ITA) – UAE Team Emirates

General classification

1) Tom Dumoulin (NED) – Team Sunweb – 52.41.08hrs
2) Nairo Quintana (COL) – Movistar +2.23
3) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Trek-Segafredo +2.38
4) Thibaut Pinot (FRA) – FDJ +2.40
5) Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) – Bahrain-Merida +2.47
6) Andrey Amador (CRC) – Movistar +3.05
7) Bob Jungels (LUX) – QuickStep Floors +3.56
8) Tanel Kangert (EST) – Astana +3.59
9) Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) – Ag2r-La Mondiale +4.05
10) Inur Zakarin (RUS) – Katusha +4.17