In the end it was a predictable win for Quintana, who excels on the steep gradients that characterise the Blockhaus climb and who has also looked like the strongest rider heading into this race.

The Colombian made a flurry of attacks on the way up the climb, eventually managing to dislodge a determined Vicenzo Nibali and Thibaut Pinot from his wheel. Thibaut and Dutchman Tom Dumoulin now sit in second and third place on GC.

Movistar take a brake

There’s been criticism from some quarters about Movistar’s decision to keep driving the pace, with Orica-Scott’s director, Matt White, especially peeved. Maybe it was he who, in a fit of pique, took the handbrake off this Movistar team car and started it slowly trundling towards the edge of a cliff.

WHOA!!

The @Movistar_Team car nearly takes a trip back down Blockhaus ???? #Giro100 pic.twitter.com/9zJg27z6Jm

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) May 14, 2017

While we do not want violence creeping into cycling, it is fun to compare this perfectly legal ‘hit’ from a recent rugby game, with this act of naked physical aggression that saw the perpetrator expelled from one of the year’s biggest races.

Javier Moreno has been removed from the @giroditalia following this incident with Diego Rosa today pic.twitter.com/fJ092w1ozM #Giro100 #Giro

— GlobalCyclingNetwork (@gcntweet) May 9, 2017

And who could forget this glorious ‘win’ from Luka Pibernik? On the face of it it looks like a superb opportunistic attack off the front of a charging peloton, with enough power in the legs to drive on and keep ahead to cross the line first.

– Luka Pibernik’s premature celebration…and seven more finish line fails –

Except, this was not the final lap of the finishing circuit and poor old Luka crossed the line arms aloft, only to look behind and find the peloton giving it the full beans. He eventually finished 148th on the stage. Poor sod.