Team Sky were unable to get in the mix as the Vattenfall Cyclassics reached a rip-roaring conclusion, with Elia Viviani leading the squad home in 13th place after Andre Greipel had outsprinted Alexander Kristoff for victory.

Viviani had been guided into contention by Ben Swift as the pace ramped up in the closing stages, but the Italian was unable to launch his trademark kick as he got boxed in with the finish line in sight. 

It was Greipel (Lotto Soudal) who took the spoils after going toe-to-toe with Kristoff (Katusha) in a flat-out finale, with the German taking his 15th win of the season by half a bike length. Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek Factory Racing) took the remaining place on the podium, with Viviani one of only 13 riders to clock the same time as the victor.

The 20th edition of Germany's only WorldTour race rolled out of a ferry in Kiel and it didn't take long for four riders to sail up the road. Former Team Sky man Alex Dowsett (Movistar) was among them and their lead stretched to almost five minutes before the sprint teams began keeping them in check.

That advantage had dropped back to around a minute as they hit the Waseberg for the first time, and the quartet were brought back into the fold shortly after.

Fresh attacks came thick and fast in the last 50km, and Lars Petter Nordhaug followed a number of moves to put the onus on other teams to chase. Katusha and Movistar did just that, but it was Lotto Soudal who produced the most effective lead out, and Greipel repaid their efforts with another dominant display of sprinting.