Peter Sagan of TInkoff Saxo took the victory on the third stage of the Tour De Suisse.
Stage three had to be reduced to 117.3kms following a landslide and on the stage from Quinto to Olivone, the 151 riders were soon onto the 13km climb of the Gotthard Pass which had snow on either side of the road and is 2093m above sea level.
Stefan Denifl (IAM Cycling) and Marco Marcato (Wanty Groupe Gobert) were the first to break and took a lead of 1.30 and three minutes by the time, Denifl took the points on the Gotthard Pass.
On the forty kilometre decent, the duo were able to extend their time and were joined by Branislau Samoilau (CCC Spandi).
The trio increased their advantage to 5.50 and 6.23 with forty kilometres to go.
Tinkoff Saxo and the race leader Tom Dumoulin started the chase to bring them back and with twenty kilometres remaining the gap came down to 2.30.
On wet roads, Marcato was dropped as Denifl was first to the top of the next category three climb which gave him the lead in the KOM competition.
But their time on the front was over and with eight kilometres left, up came Michael Albasini to take over the lead with Jan Bakelants (AG2R) joining him.
They were just ahead of a group of twenty riders from out of which shot Team Sky's Sergio Henao to join them.
Albasini tried to attack again but was soon brought back as was Jérôme Coppel (IAM Cycling) and Steve Morabito (FDJ).
Into the final kilometre and it came down to a sprint with Peter Sagan leading it out and staying strong to win in 3.00.35 ahead of Katusha's Daniel Morno and Thibaut Pinot of FDJ.
Tom Dumoulin of Giant Alpecin continues to lead the race.