Whatever instructions were relayed however, it leaves the question as to whether it should have been neutralised. Weather conditions on the Gavia were poor, and they were even worse on the Stelvio.

Thick snow and low visibility ensured an already brutal stage was made treacherous – and there was no shortage of riders taking to Twitter to slam organisers’ decision to allow the stage to go ahead.

Ok thats enough @giroditalia. Stop the race if it continues to Snow.

— Greg Henderson (@Greghenderson1) May 27, 2014

So, should it have been neutralised? Weather has wreaked havoc already at this year’s Giro – the neutralised stage four in Bari, for example. Crashes have also been a constant feature with one of the pre-race favourites, Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), among the high-profile victims.

Rider safety is paramount, but how far can that go while retaining the competitive nature of the race? Snow atop a mountain pass is, of course, not a new phenomenon.

Dario Cataldo (Team Sky) was among the riders to earn a gap on the descent and his hugely impressive descent showed that, with  skill, the wet, slippery roads were nothing to fear.