Nacer Bouhanni took his third win in the Giro D'Italia with victory on the tenth stage.
Marco Bandiera (Androni) and Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli - Yellow Fluo) were straight on the attack as soon as this flag dropped on a 173km stage from Modela to Salsomaggiore.
After thirteen kilometres, they had taken a lead of 8.35 on a day where temperatures were around twenty degrees. That lead was down to 6.10 with fifty kilometres gone.
The first sprint of the day saw Bandiera take the ten points ahead of Fedi who took seven points and Elia Viviani, who was riding with a fever taking third place in the sprint with 105kms to go.
That sprint had seen the peloton which included race leader Cadel Evans now 4.50 behind on the front two.
With no team willing to take up the chase, the gap went out to 6.43 with 81kms to go.
There were big crowds out in Brescello to see Bandiera and Fedi come through with a lead of 3.37. Passing through the Reggio Emilia region, there was fifty five kilometres remaining on a flat stage which looked to be one for the sprinters.
Into Parma and Cannondale's Maureno Moser crashed but was able to get onto a new bike and continue in a stage which saw Bandiera and Fedi, three minutes clear going into the final twenty kilometres.
Six kilometres later, there was a crash at the back of the peloton which saw Yannick Eijssen of BMC being taken to hospital.
Bandiera and Fedi were still away but their lead was not down to 58 seconds with 12.6kms to go.
Three kilometres later, Bandiera and Fedi shook hands and BMC surged passed them heading for what was a technical finish on a descent after a short climb.
Nicholas Roche tried to attack but Team Sky and BMC kept him in check.
There was a big crash with 700 metres to go on a bend with Farrar going down taking fifteen or so riders with him to the deck but a small group were able to avoid it and in that group was FDJ's Nacer Bouhanni who won in a time of 4.01.14 ahead of Nizzol, Matthews, Ferrari and Battaglin.
Bouhanni said on his win to Dan Lloyd: "It was really quick but my team did it perfectly. They were already to help me and give me a good approach. In the final five hundred metres I did my job and I am happy with it."
Cadel Evans leads the race from Rigoberto Uran by 57 seconds.