 Several writers have referred to the fourteenth stage as being "epic" or "iconic" due to the weather conditions the riders battled over difficult climbs and unpaved roads to finish the stage.According to "CyclingNews" writer Jason Sumner, a photo from the fourteenth stage depicting the future winner Andrew Hampsten climbing the Gavia while a snowstorm blows in the foreground has become a widely known image that even casual cycling fans would recognize.After the stage, "La Gazzetta dello Sport" called the stage "The Day the Big Men Cried", with the stage still being commonly referred to as such.