Fourth, 2’25” behind Uran

Fabio Aru was seen as an outside contender for the white jersey, but with team leader Michele Scarponi suffering early on and losing time, the Italian now finds himself leading Astana’s GC charge.

Aru’s stage 15 win, soloing to victory on the Montecampione, underlined his ability and fired a warning shot to his rivals as to what he can achieve when the road heads skyward.

Seventh at the Giro del Trentino, Aru has continued his good form in his home country and had certainly raised his profile during the past fortnight, even before his stage win. Aru is heading in to uncharted territory so it is difficult to gauge how the 23-year-old will cope with the demands of team leadership in the challenging final week, but if he can continue where he left off before the third rest day, he will certainly be there or thereabouts come the final stage Trieste.