Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Giro d’Italia, stage 20

The climb to the summit of Tre Cime di Lavaredo may be just three kilometres long, but with an average gradient of 12.4 per cent – with some ramps touching a crippling 18 per cent – it is as ferocious as they come. Add to that an aperitif of 200km of racing along a re-routed parcours, and the treacherous weather conditions that characterised this year’s Giro d’Italia, and you have a mountain-top finish offering nothing to the faint-hearted.

The penultimate stage of this year’s Giro presented the last remnants of hope for anybody hoping to close down Vincenzo Nibali’s overall lead. An unexpected rest day, after stage 19 was cancelled, preceded the stage, but Astana’s team leader had no intention of surrendering his maglia rosa.

The Shark dropped the hammer on the steepest section of the climb, sinking Colombians Rigoberto Uran (Team Sky) and Carlos Betancur (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and white jersey Rafal Majka (Team Saxo-Tinkoff). With snow fast covering the already punishing slopes, Nibali battled on alone. His rivals simply had no answer as he powered through the crowds of spectators and into the final kilometre, leaving him to punch the air in delight and celebrate his virtual coronation as Giro d’Italia champion.