Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team controlled another chaotic, rain drenched race all the way into the final kilometers at Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 3, despite breakaways and attacks meant to shake up a predicted sprint finish.
OPQS also keeps five of their riders in the top five of the GC, as Peter Sagan (Cannondale) won a hectic sprint, despite Cavendish coming around his wheel on the right side just meters before the line. Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) was 3rd.
All of OPQS had a well established leadout train working with a few kilometers to go after catching Lars Boom (Blanco Pro Cycling) and Matteo Rabottini (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia) in separate attacks, but Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil-DCM) went off the front with 3km to go and it took until a few hundred meters to go to catch him and launch the sprint.
Michal Kwiatkowski and Niki Terpstra are 2nd and 3rd in the GC, and Kwiatkowski also keeps the Best Young Rider jersey.
"The guys did a really, really good job today," Cavendish said. "They were really motivated. Gert Steegmans brought me up in the last 500 meters. I tried to get on Greipel's wheel, but Sagan did a really great job between us in the final. Sagan really deserved this win today. I just can't express enough that my guys did an incredible job today. As for tomorrow, it's a hard stage for someone like me heading to Prati di Tivo, but we will try and keep the jersey in the team. We definitely have some guys who can fight for the blue jersey for the next days."