Nacer Bouhanni of FDJ has won the seventh stage of the Giro D'Italia.
Joaquim Rodrigeuz of Katusha along with Giampaolo Caruso and Angel Vicioso were amongst those not starting on this 211km stage from Frosinone, near Rome to Foligno in Umbria.
One hundred and ninety riders did start but that was down to 189 when Maxime Méderel (Europcar) abandoned after nine kilometres of the stage and before Robinson Chalapud (Colombia), Nathan Haas of Garmin Sharp, Winner Anacona (Lampre-Merida), Bjorn Thurau (Europcar) and Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF) got in to a break.
Their lead had reached nine minutes before Ramón Carretero joined the list of those abandoning.
Wtth the lead around six minutes, Chalapud took the intermediate sprint with 87.5kms to go and the break was 4.53 as Nathan Haas took the three points ahead of Chalapud on a category four climb with just over 39kms to go.
The quartet were still clear with eleven kilometres to go and after Team Sky's Berni Eisel crashed.
Bjorn Tharau tried to get away but with 4.3kms to go and Giant Shimano on the front, the five had a lead of only fifteen seconds.
This was a technical finish with roundabout and tigh roads. Ventoso of Movistar crashed as Orica Greenedge took to the front of the peloton which had now dealt with the escapers.
The sprinters were up for it and Luka Mezgec and Nacer Bouhani went and it was the Frenchman who won in 5.16.05 ahead of Nizzol and Mezgec, followed by race leader Michael Matthews, Ferrari, Farrar, Battaglin, Van Poppel, Rovny and Viviani.
Michael Matthews still leads Cadel Evans by 21 seconds as the race heads into the mountains and he told Dan Lloyd. "We did a bit of recon and it was more technical than we thought. All the boys did a great job and they put me in the right position but I did not have the legs for it today but it was a great day for the team."
Stage seven winner Nacer Bouhanni said to Dan Lloyd: "I started to sprint well but I managed to just get in front of Megzec and take the win. The climbs were not easy but the team did the rest and I managed to hang on."