"I expect riders to put everything on the line" - Chris Froome in anticipation of his successor on Finestre

When asked about the most iconic Grand Tour triumphs of modern history, most will mention Mark Cavendish's record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win, Tadej Pogacar's La Planche des Belles Filles robbery, but foremost; Chris Froome's 2018 Giro d'Italia raid.

Seven years ago, Froome arrived to Giro as a defending champion of both Tour and Vuelta that he had won year prior, and the goal was clear - to complete the collection and sit on all three thrones at the same moment. However from the very beginning in Israel, Froome was bleeding a lot of time and the only glimpse of his comeback would be stage win on Monte Zoncolan in stage 14.

With three stages to go, the Sky leader was still fourth, more than three minutes behind the dominant overall leader Simon Yates. In order to turn the tables, a performance not short of a miracle was necessary. That's when Froome set his eyes on the French monster-climb, the Colle delle Finestre.

When Froome arrived to Bardonecchia after an 80-kilometer solo, no rock was left unturned in the standings, and the Brit was back on top of the world while his compatriot Simon Yates completely cracked and lost half an hour. Now, years later, the mythical climb makes a grand comeback to the Giro d'Italia.

"It was my most memorable day on a bike ever, especially when you look at my victories," Froome told WielerFlits and CyclingNews. "Attacking from so far away… That was something we never saw back then. But now it's normal, my teammate Frigo did it too (won a stage in the Tour of the Alps with a 78-kilometer solo, ed.)."

"Maybe that stage was the start of something in modern cycling," he laughs. "No, just kidding. You see now that nutrition has become so much more important, that has changed. I also had to pay attention to my nutrition to allow that performance."

What is his prognosis for this Saturday, when the Corsa Rosa is to be once again decided on the slopes of Finestre? "The third week in the Giro d'Italia is extremely tough and yet this stage stands out above all the others. I really expect riders to put everything on the line here."