Poor weather conditions battered the Giro d’Italia and stage 12 was no different as heavy rain led to the finish being neutralized before the race even began.

In torrid conditions, Omega Pharma-Quickstep took control of the bunch for much of the day’s racing despite the fearsome conditions.

Their hard work paid off in spades however as they propelled Mark Cavendish to the 100th win of his professional career in Treviso.

It was not straightforward though, as the small group of escapees made good use of the weather to stay out in front for much of the stage – only being caught inside the final 500m.

With Omega Pharma-Quickstep having led the chase, and Matteo Trentin pulling a big shift on the front, the lead-out could quite easily have succumbed to the effort.

But Gert Steegmans found the extra effort required to hold on at the front, delaying until the perfect opportunity to propel the Manx Missile to his landmark win ahead of Luka Mezgec and Nacer Bouhanni.