Giant Shimano's Marcel Kittel made it two out of two when he took victory on the third stage of the 97th Giro D'Italia.
Having said goodbye to Belfast, the rain was still present on a 187km stage from Armagh to Dublin.
Again, Martin Tjalliingii of Belkin was in the day's break along with Yonder Godoy (Androni), Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez (Colombia), Gert Dockx (Lotto Belisol) and Giorgio Cecchinel (Neri Sottoli - Yellow Fluo) and took a forty second lead over the peloton which included race leader Michael Matthews of Orica Greenedge and points leader Marcel Kittel of Giant Shimano who had won the second stage in Belfast.
On the road to the capital of the Republic Of Ireland and the finish in Merrion Square in Dublin, the lead had gone out to 5.40 but was down to 5.25 with 44kms gone and 4.05 with 112.4kms to go.
Despite the rain, the crowds were massive on the road with pink everywhere, the riders were keeping up an average speed of 39.345km/h.
Over the border into the Republic, the rain had stopped but Andrea Fedi who had been in the break on the second stage went down, after braking heavily.
The race moved into Dundalk for the first sprint of the day and it was Martin Tjallingii who had taken both of the early climbs who again took maximum points to add to his tally.
The gap was now 2.53 to the peloton which crashed heading for the intermediate sprint with Wilko Kelderman of Belkin hitting the deck and Manuel Belletti of Androni, who injured his left arm. Belletti was bandaged up but got back into the race which will see the riders and teams transport to Bari for the fourth stage on Tuesday.
Through Drogheda and with 65kms to go, the gap was 3.41, then there was a big crash and a lot of riders including Michel Scarponi, Enrico Gasperotto and Valerie Agnoli who was the last man back on his bike.
Another crash came with 34kms to go and saw Edvald Boasson Hagen, Cameron Meyer, Pieter Weening and a host of riders going down following a touch of wheels after a roundabout.
The five out front started to see their lead dropping to under two minutes.
Chavez was dropped as the peloton closed in, with ten kilometres remaining.
Two kilometres later, Giorgio Cecchinel left those he had shared the lead with and attacked. The pace shot up and with 7.2kms the peloton had caught Cecchinel.
Nicholas Roche suffered a mechanical as the race head towards the stage finish which was a technical one.
On narrow roads, FDJ were on the front as were Team Sky, going over the river Liffey and into the final kilometre in sunshine. Boasson Hagen led the riders through a chicane and it was Marcel Kittel who celebrated his 26th birthday with the win in 4.28.43 ahead of Team Sky's Ben Swift and Elia Viviani, followed by Appollonio, Bouhani.Boasson Hagen, Ferrari, Avila, Nizzolo and Farrar.
Michael Matthews keeps his leader's jersey with an eight second lead over Allesandro Petacchi.
Kittel, who extends his lead in the points competition, told Dan Lloyd: "I thought I had lost the race because I was not in a good position but I did not give up and I am so happy that I have won."