Rigoberto Uran made it two second-place finishes in a row at the Giro d’Italia, in very different circumstances. Last time out, then with Team Sky, the Colombian took over team leadership duties when Sir Bradley Wiggins abandoned. This time, with Omega Pharma-Quickstep, he was given the opportunity to lead from the start and duly responded by becoming the first Colombian to pull on the maglia rosa.

He could not maintain the challenge – the controversial descent of the Stelvio seeing him, wrongly, think the section had been neutralised. Even then, why he did not stick with his chief GC rival Nairo Quintana remains an unanswered question and, regardless, Quintana’s showing on the Val Martello would have been too good for anyone.

Nevertheless, the signs are good for both Uran and Omega Pharma-Quickstep. He could not match the form of Quintana in the final week but the Belgian super team have shown, at least, they can support his GC ambitions. Phenomenal form in the first time trial – the product of in-depth testing with Specialized – was the first benefit, while Wout Poels proved himself as a more than willing domestique in the mountains. It was not his year this time out, but there is plenty of chance yet for him to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Quintana.