Lotto Soudal's Andre Greipel rode to victory on stage six of the 98th Giro D'Italia.
Stage six was one for the sprinters and was a flat 183km stage from Montecatini Terme to Castiglione della Pescaia in Tuscany.
Marek Rutkiewicz (CCC Sprandi) and Eduard Grosu (Nippo-Vini Fantini) were the first to get away and they were joined by Marco Bandiera (Androni), Alessandro Malaguti (Nippo-Vini-Fantini and Alan Marangoni (Cannondale Garmin) to form a break which was 4.12 ahead of the peloton which included race leader Alberto Contador of Tinkoff Saxo after twenty three kilometres.
The gap stodd at 4,44 with 96 kilometres to go and two hours of racing in the bag.
Three kilometres later and Grosu led the escapers over the day's climb at Pomerance, which failed to affect Jan Polanc's lead in the KOM competition.
Their lead dropped under four minutes with sixty five kilometres to go on a stage which again had sunshine with a threat of 25kmh winds.
With 34kms left and a lead of just under three minutes, Marco Bandiera (Androni) took the next sprint at Ribolla, a town known for its mining.
Twelve kilometres later and the gap dropped under two minutes and with the win now blowing, the escapers were brought back to the fold with fourteen kilometres to go.
Team Sky and Tinkoff Saxo took turns on the front as did Orica GreenEdge trying to get Michael Matthews into the points jersey which is being worn by Team Sky's Elia Viviani.
There were two kilometres left when Lotto Soudal took to the front trying to get a win for Andre Greipel. Lampre brought up Sacha Modolo and LottoNL Jumbo brought up Hofland.
Into the final kilometre and the sprint was on. Greipel took on Matthews whilst there was a crash behind him involving the race leader and a Nippo Fantini rider in Nicoli, who looked in a bad way but Greipel kept going and won in 4.19.42 ahead of Matteo Pelucchi and Sacha Modolo.
Alberto Contador remains in the pink jersey with a two second lead.
Greipel said about his win: "We had to keep our position with 3kms to go and then Adam Hansen and Greg took me. I did not go too early but I went at the right time and I have to thank my team mates.
"With the team victories like this are not happening and it was a deserved victory."