Gerald Ciolek of the African team MTN Qhubeka won the Milan-San Remo race this afternoon.
A crueling 298km Classic race started with Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale), Diego Rosa (Androni), Filippo Fortin (Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox), Maxim Belkov (Katusha), Lars Bak (Lotto) and Pablo Lastras (Movistar) attacking after just three kilometres.
They got to the bottom of the Passo del Turchino when the race was stopped due to the snow and the riders had to get into buses and the race was reduced to 130 kilometres, missing out the Passo del Turchino and La Manie climbs.
The escapers started again at Varezze with a lead of 6.40 and with 100kms to go, they had added a mere two seconds.
The numbers withdrawing increased with the likes of Matt Goss and Tom Boonen, who angrily tweeted; "I think my decision says enough.This is partly a precaution, but also a statement to the organization. They knew long enough that there was so much snow on the road. What happens now is the fault of the organization's own fault. Have you ever wanted to bicycle through the snow ridden? There are nicer things than this. I'm completely frozen.", pulling out as Jacobus Venter punctured with 90kms to go.
Fifteen kilometres further down the road, Mark Cavendish caught back up to the main peloton who were 4.33 behind the escapers as the rain continued to come down.
Fortin was dropped by the escapers who were 2.40 ahead on the Capo Vele.
The Capo Cervo was next and as they made their way to the climb with 43kms to go, the gap was down to two minutes.
Team Sky went to the front of the peloton before Vincenzo Nibali abandoned due to the cold.
Maxim Belkov tried to attack on the Capo Berta but Rosa and Bak brought him back just before the race came into Imperia. It was futile as with 30.7kms to go, the peloton up Bernie Eisel on the front swept the escapers up.
Then there was a crash which took down a number of Sky riders including Brit Geraint Thomas as a group of about thirty riders including World Champion Phillipe Gilbert went up the Cipressa.
Gilbert took to the front on the descent and built up a short gap before he was joined by eight more riders including Fabian Cancellera and Ian Stannard, resplendent in his British Champion's jersey.
Katusha's Michael Vorganov, Omega Pharma's Sylvain Chavanel and Ian Stannard were away with the peloton who had caught Gilbert with 14.2kms to go. They built up a 22 second lead before they started on the Poggio Di Sanremo climb with 10.6kms to go.
Stannard was the first to attack on the climb. Chavanel followed but Vorganov was lagging behind.
They were 33 seconds ahead of the Cannondale led peloton with Peter Sagan at the front.
Maxim Iglinsky caught up to Vorganov who was fourteen seconds behind the front two.
Ian Stannard dug in with seven kilometres to go whilst back down the road, Katusha's Luca Paolini went past Iglinsky. Fabian Cancellera and Gerard Ciolek also attacked on the descent.
With four to go, Chavanel was ahead by a few bike lengths but the Frenchman and British Champion were caught by Cancellera, Sagan, Ciolek and Paolini.
With 1.8kms, Ian Stannard went away. He was closed down by Segan 600 metres later but led going into the final kilometre.
Ciolek and Sagan sprinted it out and the German, won in a time of 5.37.20 with Cancellera third, Chavanal fourth, Paolini, fifth and Ian Stannard a superb sixth with Mark Cavendish ninth.