Even Cadel Evans, Australia's most decorated cyclist and current leader of the Giro d'Italia, paid tribute to Rogers and his shock stage 11 triumph, the 34-year-old's first at a grand tour.

"Cycling has been unfair on him for the last few months and hopefully things are turning around for him," Evans said.

The Giro d'Italia, one of professional cycling's three grand tours, has become the Giro d'Canberra. For while Italy's biggest cycling event introduced an emerging international superstar in Canberra's Michael Matthews, it has also heralded the resurrection of Rogers.

Banned from December 2013, investigated for testing positive to clenbuterol in China on October last year, Rogers was cleared to return to racing in April after authorities accepted he'd inadvertently eaten contaminated meat in Asia.

Having fought so hard maintaining his innocence, Rogers completed his fightback by winning the 249-kilometre stage 11 at the Giro - his first stage win in 12 years of racing grand tours.

"It was certainly a beautiful moment," Rogers said.

“It’s been a difficult period, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. There are always these difficult moments in life, but you’ve got to look ahead.”

Rogers had told family, based in Canberra, not to bother staying up late at night to watch the stage. He'd told them he was saving his legs for the last week of the three-week tour. His parents stayed up anyway.

Brother Deane, also a former junior world cycling champion, has been one of his closest confidantes.

"We just made a big effort to ensure Mick stayed positive,'' Deane said of the period during the provisional ban.

"I talked to him every other day through his highs and lows ... it felt like we had a role as family to ensure he kept smiling through it and remained positive.

"He hung on to hope, he trained through it, he got the result he needed, and now the forced rest seems to have been pretty good for his form.

"He got his dignity back. What have we got bar our reputations in life? ... He's feeling pretty good about life."

Rogers is a four-time Olympian and three-time world time trial champion, but Deane described his brother's return as his "second coming".

"In his words to me, he craved racing," Deane said. "It's in his DNA. I remember taking him out as a six-year-old on his bike. That's all he knows and he was the fortunate one to have the talent to make a career out of it.

"He realised how good he's got it, how fortunate he's been in his sporting life. I think he's come out of it [the provisional ban] a better person and certainly a hungrier athlete.

"He is a tough individual; he's a ruthless operator and he is the most dedicated athlete I've ever seen. Through good times and bad times, he's always kept his head high and pushed through it."

Rogers is now almost certain to be the most important support rider for Saxo-Tinkoff teammate Alberto Contador in his quest for victory in the Tour de France.

Canberra's Matthews has also put himself in the frame for a leading role in France with Australia's Orica GreenEDGE team after his heroics at the Giro.

Matthews, 23, is still raw, but has now claimed three stage victories in just two grand tours - two in his debut in Spain last year. He won another stage at the Giro, wearing the pink leader's jersey for six days before withdrawing, fatigued and bruised after a crash.

"I'm lost for words, he's unbelievable,'' Deane Rogers said of Matthews. "He can turn pedals with such power, but he's got that cheeky grin and character to boot. He's an impressive kid, it's exciting, I can't wait to watch him flourish - he already has."

The site of Rogers' win was also important, given he has lived most of his European career in Italy. Although he now lives in Switzerland, his wife is Italian and his three children, including twins, were raised there. He dedicated the win to them.

A top-10 finisher in the Tour de France, Rogers has until July to be ready for the Tour.

"He had to prove himself, but he's an integral part of Saxo," Deane said. "One would think as long as he gets through the Giro unscathed he should be there."