Marcel Kittel took the victory on the Mall in London at the end of the third stage of the Tour De France.
With Sacha Modolo having abandoned due to a chest infection and Mark Cavendish out before the second stage, stage three left the University city of Cambridge with Vincenzo Nibali of Astana in the lead some two seconds ahead of Cannondale's Peter Sagan.
The stage was only four kilometres old when Jan Barta of Team Net App Endura and Jean Marc Bideau of Bretagne Seche Enviroment got away and took a lead of 3.54 with 133kms to go of this 155km stage which again was watched by monumental sized crowds, especially in Saffron Walden
With Giant Shimano's Ji Cheng on the front of the peloton, the speed for the first hour of racing was 43kmh.
Omega Phama Quick Step's Jan Bakelants crashed at the back of the peloton but was able to get on his way when a new bike was brought to him.
Giant Shimano upped the pace after a natural break and with less than one hundred kilometres left, the gap was down to 3.13.
Through Felsted and more big crowds which were at least six deep, the front duo had a 2.54 lead ahead of the peloton who will be on four flights from London City Airport to Le Touquet-Paris Plage Airport in readiness for stage four back in France.
Howe Street and Great Waltham were also popular places to see the riders come through and spectators used roof tops, church roofs and road signs to ensure that they had the best possible view of the race.
Into Chelmsford with a 2.52 lead and Bideau and Barta were working well together with Bideau doing 56% of the work and getting some good exposure as did a man riding his horse in a field along side the race, for their team's sponsors.
Bideau took the twenty sprint points at the day's only sprint ahead of Barta, Coquard, Sagan and Viviani.
With the rain coming down on the finish line, Andy Schleck, was one of four riders who crashed as the stage went into its final thirty kilometres.
Coming into the capital and Astana were on the front and ensured that everyone got round a left hander before Lotto took over.
Bideau and Barta, who was 10.31 down on general classification, passed Olympic Park with a 1.46 lead and went past the Millennium Dome with a 47 second lead and then into the city past lines of office workers.
The gap came down to twenty seconds, so Barta decided to go for the final eight kilometres solo. Two kilometres later, a fine day's work from Barta was over and Tinkoff Saxo were on the front, followed by Omega Pharma Quick Step led by Tony Martin.
Down by the Thames and up towards Parliament, Giant Shimano were setting the pace for Marcel Kittel.
Past Buckingham Palace and onto the Mall and Kittel won in 3.38.30