Argos Shimano's Marcel Kittel won the second stage of the Paris-Nice.
A 200.5km stage heading south from Vimory to Cérilly, started without Astana's Kevin Seeldraeyers and Garmin-Sharp's Jacob Rathe.
Gatis Smukulis (Katusha), Mads Christensen (Saxo-Tinkoff) and Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM) attacked inside the first kilometre and Boeckmans took the first sprint which came early after fifteen kilometres.
With 64kms gone and a headwind slowing down race speeds and meaning that the riders were fifty minutes behind schedule, Vacansoileil-DCM's Romain Feillu and Thomas De Gendt, Maxime Bouet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel-Euskadi attacked and were left to it.
A lead of four minutes was reduced to 2.50 with 80kms to go and when the peloton entered a downhill section and their speed increased, the quartet's lead drop to 1.40.
Team Sky's American Ian Boswell and Sunday's Prologue winner Damien Gaudin went down in a crash with 74kms to go.as the rain started to come down.
Next rider to go down was the race leader Nacer Bouhani, who lost his wheel on a left hand turn and ended up hitting a small wall with 56.8kms to go after planting his face on the tarmac. It was the facial injury that was being treated as he was put on to a stretcher and then taken to hospital.
With the quartet, have been caught with 44kms to go. The stage plodded on until the riders reached Cérilly for the first time.
This is where the second sprint with 18kms to go was and Ellia Viviani took the three points to take over as leader on the road.
As the roads through the forest started to widen, Tom Boonen went to the front and ensure that the pace was up for the final ten kilometres.
Yoann Offredo tried an attack but was soon swept up and with two kilometres to go, the riders were all over the road.
FDJ took to the front. Allessandro Pettachi went for the line a long way out but on the right up came Marcel Kittel to take the win in 5.42.18 ahead of Viviani who is the new race leader, seven seconds ahead of Sylvain Chavanel