The penultimate 189 kilometres from Bucchianico to Porto Sant'Elpidio was one for the sprinters and started without Christian Horner.
Manx Man Peter Kennaugh of Team Sky, Steve Morabito (BMC), Jack Bauer (Garmin-Sharp) and Cesare Benedetti (NetApp-Endura) quickly attacked and were 5.10 ahead of the peloton lead by race leader Alberto Contador in the maglia azzura.
It was down to 1.30 when Peter Kennaugh took the King Of The Mountains climb with 40.2km remaining.
That time had dropped due to the work of Cannondale and struggling to keep up with their pace was Marcel Kittel of Giant Shimano who fell over a minute behind the peloton.
With thirty kilometres to go, the lead of Kennaugh and his three companions for the day was less than a mijnute.
There was two laps of a 13.8km circuit around the seaside resort of Porto Sant'Elpidio on the Adriatic coast, to negotiate and the four out front had a lead of 41 seconds.
On the sea front with a lead of twenty seconds and just under twenty five kilometres remaining, Garmin's Jack Bauer shot away.
Kennaugh and Morabito joined Bauer for the final twenty kilometres but the peloton were bearing down on the team and onto the final lap, Kennaugh sat up and Bauer and Moribito tried to fend off the peloton who were now only 33 seconds ahead of the Kittel group.
Inside the final ten kilometres and Moribito and Bauer were caugh, so BMC's Philippe Gilbert attacked off the front of the peloton, who were 47 seconds ahead of Kittel's group with 6kms to go.
Gilbert was over-taken with 3.4 kilometres left by the peloton which had Mark Cavendish in the British National champion jersey in a good position.
Michael Kwiatkowski, a former leader of this race, led the way byt there was a crash with 1.3kms to go, affecting the Lotto Belisol team.
Omega Pharma Quick Step were drilling things on the front and away went Cavendish to win in 4.16.15 ahead of Petacchi, who waved as Cavendish passed him to win, Sagan, Demare and Hurel.
Source: DSG
