Key moments

26km to go

The day’s break is caught when the peloton hit the Cipressa, where the pace is upped by Team Sunweb, causing small splits to briefly form. All the major favourites manage to keep in touch — apart, that is, from Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data).

6.3km to go

Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) sets a ferocious tempo up the Poggio that discourages anyone from attacking. But when he swings off near the summit, a lull in the pace allows Sagan to fly off the front with a devastating acceleration.

5.5km to go

Having spent 800 metres hovering a few agonising bike lengths adrift, the chasing duo of Kwiatkowski and Alaphilippe finally make it up to Sagan’s wheel and slipstream. They already have a lead of several seconds ahead of the bunch.

2.7km to go

Alaphilippe takes a turn at the front. It may last a mere few seconds, but nevertheless feels like a tacit acknowledgement that the bunch and his team leader Fernando Gaviria — now 16 seconds adrift — are not going to catch up.

100m to go

With 200 metres to go, Sagan begins his sprint, opening a gap of one bike length. But 100 metres later, Kwiatkowski reaches back up to Sagan’s wheel, and summons the strength to pass and pip him on the finish line.