Tony Martin of Etixx Quick Step has won the fourth stage of the 102nd Tour De France and taken over the lead of the race.
The last part of the day in Belgium saw the race leave Seraing and head via seven sectors of cobbles to Cambrai on a stage of 233.5km.
It was a stage that started without Trek's Fabian Cancellera who has broken his back in two places and Orica GreenEdge's Darryl Impey who has a broken collarbone.
As soon as the flag dropped with Lieuwe Westra (Astana) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal) launched an attack with Perrig Quémeneur (Europcar) and Frédéric Brun (Bretagne-Séché Environnement) joining them.
They had a lead of 5.30 and rode 79kms in the first two hours and after Thomas De Gendt had taken the point on the only climb of the day - the category four Côte de la Citadelle de Namur, but going onto the first sector of cobbles - the Sector 7 Pont à Celles pavee which was 1800m's long, the lead was down to 54 seconds.
The lead soon went back out to 2.08 as everyone safely got over the cobbles and the riders pushed on towards France.
Alberto Contador, Rigoberto Uran and Nairo Quintana changed their bikes after the cobbled sector as Richie Porte set the pace on the front for Team Sky who were looking after the race leader Chris Froome, who was now over his first set of pavee after not making to the cobbled sectors in last year's race and using a Dogma FS8 bike which had suspension designed by Jaguar in Coventry.
The gap continued to increase with 105kms left and the riders in Binche, the gap stood at 3.54 with the average speed for the first three hours now at 40.2km/h.
Lieuwe Westra changed his bike but was able to re-join the break who were 2.37 ahead going into the last one hundred kilometres of the stage.
Thomas De Gendt took the sprint at Hanag with Mark Cavendish leading the peloton over.
Now into the French department of Nord, and with the rain starting to briefly come down and moisten the roads, the gap was 2.55 with sixty kilometres left but down to 1.25 eight kilometres later.
There was a crash involving an Astana rider and two down from Cannondale-Garmin with Dan Martin involved.
All managed to get on their way and were soon on the D'artes de Famars sector of cobbles which was 1200 metres long. Tony Martin and Astana who have suspended by the Movement for Credible Cycling, put down the hammer and the gap was down to eighteen seconds.
Westra, De Gendt and Quemeneur only able to stay away for a bit and as they were started on the 1200 metre long Quérénaing to Verchain-Maugré sector, they were pulled back.
The riders were strung out down the road as Nicholas Roche was on the front for Team Sky, just before they started on sector four Verchain-Maugré to Saulzoir, some five minutes down on the slowest time in the roadbook.
Onto sector three and Vincenzo Nibali was on the front from John Degenkolb with 25.3kms left. Sep Vanmarcke was onto the 3700 metre long sector two as Dan Martin was in a group which was now a minute down on the peloton.
Vanmarke & Tony Martin punctured and Thibaut Pinot of FDJ needed a new bike as the group of favourites opened up a lead of 1.27 on Pierre Roland's group and 2.15 on Pinot.
IAM Cycling came to the fore before Roche and Ian Stannard took over but on the final sector, Vincenzo Nibali pushed on in the final sector from Avesnes Les Aubert to Carnières, that was 2300 metres long.
Froome put in a great move to get up to the front and that allowed Geraint Thomas to get on the front and control the proceedings.
Heading towards Cambrai which was staging a finish for the first time, Chris Froome attacked with 9.2kms but he was soon followed by a group which contained Nibali, Stybar, Van Avermaet, Degenkolb and Rodriquez and soon brought back to the peloton by Tinkoff Saxo.
Into Caurior on the D113 and BMC were keeping the pace high. They turned left onto the D942 and the front group were 3.03 ahead of the peloton.
With 3.3kms to, Tony Martin, riding Matteo Trentin's bike, went down the left. Team Sky were unable to re-act as the German went into time-trialing mode.
The pace picked up but Martin was storming through the town. John Degenkolb led the charge but Martin won in 5.28.58, three seconds ahead of Degenkolb, Sagan, Van Avermaet and Bouhanni.
Tony Martin now leads the race by twelve seconds from Chris Froome and said: "There was I thinking about tomorrow's stage when at 5ks to go, everyone was looking round at each other.
"Nobody wanted to pull so I just decided to give it a chance and fully go for it. Somehow, I found some power and I made it. I don't know what happened at the back and I don't know how many watts I pulled, more than I ever did but a thousand thanks to my team mates. Now I am in yellow I am so happy."
Chris Froome who lost the jersey to Martin said to Eurosport's Juan Antonio Flecha: "At the end of the day it was more about the legs. When it got to the last sector of cobbles after 200 odd kilometres some guys started feeling it there but that was when I started to feel comfortable.
"I had G (Geraint Thomas) with me and he did a fantastic job, really strong and I said 'let's try it, lets push a little bit'. There was a little split but Saxo closed it down pretty quickly.
"Congratulations to Tony. He has been so close for a few days now and good for him for being in yellow. "It is a perfect scenario for us. I think there is a lot of GC contenders who will give a big sigh of relief after today . Again, I have my team mates to thank. They have done a fantastic job. Richie Porte was fighting on in the first few sections, keeping us at the front and it was a really good day for us."
Source: DSG
