An epic finish to a very unpredictable stage

The word's '...I've ever seen' are thrown around far too loosely sometimes, but believe me when I say it this time, I mean it: That was one of the best finishes to a stage I have ever seen. Not in the context of the general classification or even the entire final climb, but as a stand alone finish, it was epic. More twists and turns than the road itself and like this Giro as a whole, giving no clue as to which way it might go next.

Enrico Battaglin was the man who won the day -- the man who's name will go into the record books -- but it was more than he who made it what it was.

Men like Dario Cataldo who looked set to sprint Jan Polanc for the stage just a few kilometres further down the hill as the rest struggled to stay with them and who must have thought he had won when he came around the shoulder of Jarlinson Pantano only to have Battaglin come past him again all within the final hundred metres.

Men like Nicolas Roche who went off on his own on the second to last climb in a bid for solo glory only to get reeled in on the long descent to the foot of the final rise.

Men like Albert Timmer who attacked on that final descent, who pushed himself to stay clear on the final climb only to have the chasers behind catch him and leave him behind. He found reserves to come back, not once, but twice before finally falling short in the final half kilometre.

They all lit up the race to win the stage ... remnants of the days early break that got enough time to stave off the pace of the GC men behind. And it was those GC men and the battle for the pink jersey that only added another dimension to a phenomenal stage. Pierre Rolland and Ryder Hesjedal are a number of minutes back overall and so were allowed to go up the road on the penultimate climb and they carried that lead over their rivals to the finish, but only just.

Nairo Quintana and Domenico Pozzovivo made their move on the final climb and the pink jersey of Rigoberto Uran could only look on. He stuck with Cadel Evans who himself got rid of Uran in the closing metres. Rafal Majka -- one of the breakout performers of this years Giro -- also got clear of Uran to gain back some time on the overall.

But the time gaps were small. Uran limited his losses and what looked like the potential for big gaps were kept to under 30 seconds. Quintana led home Pozzovivo by 4 seconds; 17 seconds behind Hesjedal; 13 seconds behind Rolland. Majka came home with another breakout performer, Wilco Kelderman, 8 seconds behind Quintana; Evans was at 20 seconds and Uran limped over the line an exhausted, but safe, 25 seconds back.

It's becoming very apparent that Uran may well need every second that he gained on last Thursday's individual-time-trial as those behind him look to chip away at his advantage each time the road goes upward. He looks as though he might just struggle a little against the likes of Quintana in the mountains. Whether his now 3 minute, 4 second lead over his fellow Columbian can hold remains to be seen.

One thing that isn't in doubt in this years Giro is the unpredictability of it all. Nobody looks dominant; everyone looks like they'll struggle on certain days. Some people are often quick to question the legitimacy of a big performance in cycling these days and slow to acknowledge the purity of a race like this. So let me say it, the style in which these riders attacked today, the way nobody could force home a decisive advantage, the way a surge only lasted for hundred meters or so before the rider had to continue in tempo, the way they struggled when they hit the wall, the suffering, it all paints a good picture of where the sport is at right now. We're in the early days of the mountains and so everyone in GC contention is close to matching one another and everyone's limit is not too far from the others. As legs grow tired and this race continues along those gaps may grow, but make no mistake, the all around suffering will grow with it and the outcome may well continue -- like the final climb itself today -- to surprise and change right until the final day.

We're in for for a heck of a final week. Better them doing it that I, but I'm a lucky cycling fan for getting to watch it.

Result:

1. Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani-CSF) in 4-34-41

2. Dario Cataldo (Sky) + s.t.

3. Jarinson Pantano (Colombia) + 7 sec

4. Jan Polanc (Lampre) + 17 sec

5. Nicolas Roche (Tinkoff-Saxo) + 22 sec

6. Albert Timmer (Giant-Shimano) + 26 sec

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13. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin Sharp) + 2-22

14. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) + 2-26

15. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) + 2-39

17. Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R La Mondiale) + 2-43

18. Wilco Kelderman (Belkin) + 2-47

19. Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) + s.t.

20. Wout Poels (OPQS) + 2-59

21. Cadel Evans (BMC) + s.t.

22. Rigoberto Uran (OPQS) + 3-04

Overall:

1. Rigoberto Uran (OPQS) in 57-52-51

2. Cadel Evans (BMC) + 32 sec

3. Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo) + 1-35

4. Domenico Pozzovivo (AG2R La Mondiale) + 2-11

5. Wilco Kelderman (Belkin) + 2-33

6. Nairo Quintana (Movistar) + 3-04

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12. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin Sharp) + 6-13