It’s rare that a breakaway succeeds, but when the peloton is sufficiently disinterested, riders who represent no threat to the general classification can be allowed to slip away.

None of Gregory Rast, Matthew Hayman, Alexandre Kolobnev, and Bert Grabsch is contesting the general classification, and so when they broke clear after 30km, the bunch was content to let them go.

There ensued a battle of the domestiques, with due apologies to Grabsch, a former world time trial champion.

When Rast made his attack with 3km remaining, it proved decisive.

Expect the GC contenders to have their say tomorrow, when the road heads skywards again, and attacks from mere domestiques are unlikely to be tolerated.

Stefano Sirotti was on duty en route to the pretty Swiss town of Meilen.