Mauro Santambrogio of Vini Fantini-Selle Italia won the fourteenth stage of the Giro D'Italia.
Again, the bad weather which has plaqued this year's Giro, struck and race organisers RCS Sport were forced to announced that the climb up Sestriere has been removed from the route and the stage from Cervere to Bardonecchi had been extended by 12km to 180kms.
The bug that had been going round the riders saw Daniele Bennati (TST), Karsten Kroon (TST) , Gert Steegmans (OPQ) and Jack Bobridge (BLA) all not starting as the riders set off through Fossano and Genola in rainy conditions.
Seven riders were in the first break of the day which came with 20kms gone but Weening, Stetina and Martinez crashed and left Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox), Luca Paolini (Katusha), Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Daniele Pietropolli (Lampre-Merida) away from the peloton which included race leader Vincenzo Nibali.
Battaglin, Vanotti and David Millar all abandoned as the front four went 9.44 clear.
That had dropped to four minutes with seven kilometres to go and forced Paolini and Colbrelli to go away in search of a victory. Pietropolli caught up to them but was dropped again as the maglia rosa group moved to within forty seconds of the leaders with just over a kilometre to go.
Nibali, Cadel Evans and Carlos Betancur attacked but out of the mist shot Mauro Santambrogio of the Vini Fantini-Selle to take the stage in a time of 4.42.55 beating Nibali in a sprint.
Betancur was third, nine seconds back with Sammy Sanchez 26 seconds back in fourth place.
Vincenzo Nibalia extended his time over Cadel Evans to now lead by 1.26 going into Stage 15 which will see the Galibier and the Col du Mont Cenis climbs withdrawn from the stage.