Alberto Contador won the fourth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico.
Stage Four was the longest stage of the race at 244kms and started in Indicatore (Arezzo) with a mountain finish finish in Cittareale (Selva Rotonda).
The race now lead by Michal Kwiatkowski of Omega Phara Quick Step who took over from team-mate Mark Cavendish, saw Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r La Mondiale), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Matthias Brandle (IAM Cycling), Filippo Fortin (Bardiani-CSF), Alexandre Pichot (Europcar) and Maxim Belkov (Katusha) make the main break.
They had taken a lead of 7.40 by the halfway stage as Robert Gesink abandoned.
Their lead was down to ninety seconds going into the final fifty kilometres before Brandle took the intermediate sprint eight kilometres later on Leonessa.
Belkov dropped back to the peloton as Alberto Contador punctured and was paced back into the peloton.
Fortin and Pichot left three riders out front as the team cars were pulled out as the gap went under a minute with 26kms left.
Lloyd Montory crashed after cooking it on a left hand, missing a dry stone wall, two kilometres later but got back on his bike and re-joined the peloton.
Through Santa Croce and the road started to go up towards the Cittareale ski resort at Selva Rotonda and the finish line via the 16km Forca Capistrello with a maximum gradient of 10%.
With just under twelve kilometres to go, Sir Bradley Wiggins brought Richie Porte to the front of the peloton which sped past Alexey Lutsenko and Matthias Brandle.
Movistar were setting the pace with ten kilometres left as Peter Sagan's chances of a second successive stage victory ended when he dropped off the back of the peloton, which now consisted of around fifty riders.
Benat Intxausti went away to try and catch Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani-CSF) who had got 27 seconds clear. With both riders a threat to the general classification, TInkoff Saxo's Roman Kreuziger went joined them.
A double kick saw Roman Kreuziger go with Pirazzi in his wheel, completely blowing out Intzausti.
With snow on some of the mountains, Kreuziger ploughed on. However , behind him, Richie Porte lead an attack which was soon taken up by Kiserlovski and Scarponi of Lampre. Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador joined them.
With a kilometre to go, Kreuziger was waiting for Contador but Scarponi joined him followed by Richie Porte of Team Sky who brought this group together with 500m left.
Porte pushed on with Kreuziger and Contador on his wheel. Porte went for the line but Contador went for the line and win in a 6.39.56, a second ahead of Quintana and five seconds ahead of Moreno, Kreuziger and Porte.
Michael Kwiatkowski came in ten seconds down on Contador's time but that was enough to keep him in the Maglia Azurra for another day.