Second, 1’03” behind Uran

Cadel Evans was the standout GC contender during the first week – though his lead came party thanks to a large slice of luck when he was one of the few riders to escape the carnage of a huge crash on stage six – and despite losing the lead to Rigoberto Uran, the Australian veteran remains in a strong position to fulfill his aim of at least a podium place.

But having worn the maglia rosa for four stages, Evans will no doubt be keen to wrestle it back from Uran in the final week.

Evans will be hoping for a reverse of last year, when he lost time in the final week to see his overall ambitions fade before the stage 18 mountain time trial effectively ended his challenge and the penultimate stage saw Uran leapfrog him into second overall.

This time out, however, Evans has trained specifically for the Giro having last year targetted the Tour de France, and while he lost time on the Montecampione, his form – and that of his team-mates – suggests he can hold out for distance. The key will be improving his mountain time trial, where he lost a chunk of time last time out, if he wants to return to the overall lead.