Michele Scarponi was desperate to prove he could still mount a GC challenge and after a steady team time trial effort from his new Astana team-mates, as well as a good ride on stage five, things were looking up for the 2011 Giro d’Italia champion.

That his win arrived as a result of Alberto Contador’s doping ban means the Italian doesn’t count himself as champion, and after consecutive fourth-place finishes he joined Astana keen to improve on that this year.

Crashing on stage six, losing more time on stage eight and then even more on stage nine means 2014 won’t be Scarponi’s year – and his young Astana team-mate, 23-year-old Fabio Aru proving himself in sixth overall, time could be up for 34-year-old Scarponi.

So what now for the Italian? First and foremost, Aru is mounting a serious challenge for the white jersey, sitting 42 seconds behind Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo). Then attention turns to Vincenzo Nibali’s Tour de France bid, which Astana stated at the start of the year they hoped to have Scarponi as road captain for. His experience there, among a strong line-up also likely to include Jakob Fuglsang will be vital, and will perhaps give a taste of what the future holds for Scarponi.