Now, after none of them lost time today, the general classification riders will have back-to-back chances to gain on their rivals, with two uphill finishes on the agenda over the weekend in Italy.
First, the riders will take on the summit finish of the Montevergine di Mercogliano - a 17.1 kilometre climb which is less difficult than stage six's Etna, but is likely to still only leave the best climbers standing at the end, due to the length of the climb.
However, with the last eight kilometres coming at an average gradient of just five per cent, most of the top climbers should be able to handle the finish, with the stage potentially being decided by timing and acceleration rather than pure endurance.
Get past that, and a trickier test awaits the following day, where the majority of the final 45 kilometres are uphill, including a particularly gruelling last few kilometres.
Bennett has stressed the importance of patience at the Giro - making sure he is in form in the final week - but he will also know how crucial it is to not lose time on the upcoming two stages.
Fortunately for him, having avoided any trouble his morning, he is well placed to make his mark.
Niall Anderson is covering every stage of the Giro d'Italia live for the Herald. He is proud he resisted the temptation to make the headline "Bennett wins stage in Giro".
Niall's Giro d'Italia wraps
Stage six
Stage five
Stage four
Stage three
Stage two
Stage one
