A rest day in the Madonna di Campiglio region is followed by another ascent of the famous climb, this time in the other direction on stage 16.

And that is merely the hors d’oeuvre on a brutal stage which also features the Passo del Tonale and Passo del Mortirolo – the latter sandwiched between two ascents up to Aprica, where the stage finishes.

The 13.9km climb to Aprica is a mere hill compared to the Mortirolo, however – despite a short, sharp ramp in the earlier part of the ascent.

Covering a length of 12.8km in total, rising 1289m, the brutal Mortirolo climb kicks up sharply almost immediately – with an 18 per cent ramp the most leg-sapping section of a climb which borders on being vertical.

Six kilometres are taken where the average gradient is an eye-watering 12.2 per cent, and it is likely to be a very select group indeed from which the stage is contested.