Astana's Vincenzo Nibali has won the second stage of the Tour De France.
The massive carnival that is the the world's greatest cycle race moved in military precision to York and Sheffield for the finish.
This was a brutal 201km stage which was one for those with general classification ambitions and featured seven category three and four climbs.
It was not one for the sprinters and the stage started without Mark Cavendish who was forced to withdraw from the race in its 101st edition with a separated shoulder injury but with race leader Marcel Kittel of Giant Shimano riding a special bike for the occasion.
With light rain in York, the attacks started straight away with five becoming six becoming seven in Matti Busche of Trek Factory , Kadri of AG2R, Quuemenure of Europvar, De La Cruz of Net App, Fonseca of Bretagne Seche Enviroment, Lemoine of Cofidis and Bart De Clercq of Lotto.
The first climb came on the Cote de Blubberhouses and Cyril Lemoine was first over to take the single point on offer.
The nervousness of the peloton which is always evident in the early stages of any Tour De France showed as riders started to crash.
Bartosz Huzarski, Simon Gerrans who had crashed with Cavendish on stage one, Westra and two riders from Cofidis who had been thanking the fans who had been out on the road and in the host and departure towns.
The numbers on the road were every bit as big as the opening stage and there were plenty watching Biel Kadri take the first sprint of the day.
With a lead of around two minutes, Quemenure earned two points by being first over the Cote de Oxenhope Moor.
On the Cote de Ripponden and the seven riders made their way through packed crowds, using every possible vantage point before Christophe Lemoine shot off to take the two points, followed by De La Cruz.
Alberto Contador led the peloton over. some 2.02 down and twenty seconds of a group containing FDJ's Arnaud Demare.
The pace of Contador knocked a minute off the lead of the seven by the time Lemoine took the points on the Cote de Greetland.
Through every town, village and down every road, there was crowds, ten to fifteen deep in some places just to see the caravan followed by a brief glimpse of the riders.
The first seven of which were working well together but were only 44 seconds ahead with 70kms to go.
Team Sky"s Richie Porte was one of three riders who punctured with 64.6kms left. Something was clearly up as yellow jersey wearing Marcel Kittel told someone to clear off.
It was probably a camera bike which was preventing the peloton from seeing their quarry.
Biel Kadri tried to attack on the Cote de Holme Moss but the breakaway was over after 61.7kms for four riders with only Lemoine managing to stay with Kadri who was fifteen seconds ahead of a peloton led by Team Sky.
Kittel looked in difficulty as Thomas and co passed Lemoine. Tommy Voeckler of Europcar took this as his cue to attack and he shot after Kadri and caught him with 59.9kms left.
The yellow jersey's difficulty may have been his bike as he changed it on the climb well behind Voeckler who was passed by Nicola Edet of Cofidis and behind Kadri who got passed Voeckler again and took the five points.
Kadri stayed clear of a five rider group which now contained Tony Martin of Omega Pharma Quick Step, Marcus Berghart, Edet, Vockler and Cyril Gautier.
Martin's group caught Kadri on the Cote De Midstonehope as Slagter and Andrew Talansky set the pace behind.
Simon Yates had got into a front group as the riders went up the Cote De Bradfield with Geraint Thomas second as they went over the climb at speeds of 22.1kmph.
Sky, looking to get Chris Froome into yellow, were drilling it on the front at speeds of 70kmh and ten minutes ahead of the yellow jersey.
Onto the Cote de Oughtibridge with twenty kilometres to go and it was Cannondale on the front as Yates tried to stay with the main men.
Pierre Rolland of Europcar and Jean Christophe Péraud of AG2R got away taking a twelve second lead as the wind got up around the finish line in Sheffield, close to the Motor Point Arena and Don Valley Stadium.
Thomas was matching Peter Sagan who were fourteen seconds clear coming into the final eleven kilometres as Kittel dropped to 14.47 behind the peloton.
The final climb was the Jenkin Road in Sheffield which had an 800m ramp at 10% and with Rolland caught and passed by Thomas who was again on the front putting in a tremendous shift yet again and the main peloton.
Peter Sagan attacked on the Jenkin Road but was soon caught as the road ramped up to 13%.
Froome attacked on the right but was closely marked but still had enough to take the point on offer.
There was about twenty in the elite group and with 1.8kms left. Vincenzo Nibali flew away. The former Giro D'Italia winner led under the flam rouge and kept going and won in. 5.08.36