Gianni Meersman (Lotto-Belisol) won the fourth stage of Paris-Nice as Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins retained the leader's yellow jersey.
Belgian rider Meersman proved strongest on the drag up to the finish at Rodez at the end of the 178-kilometre stage from Brive-la-Gaillarde, edging out Grega Bole (Lampre-ISD) and Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil).
"I felt pretty good, the team worked hard for me all day and I'm really glad to get this win," said Meersman afterwards. "I just waited, waited, waited until the right moment and then gave it everything in the sprint."
Wiggins was right to the fore again as he was credited with the same time after crossing the line in 10th place to protect his six seconds advantage on the general classification over Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma - Quickstep), with Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing) a further five seconds back in third.
Team Sky's whole squad had kept Wiggins out of trouble as well as help control a stage which had featured five categorised climbs.
A five-man break comprising Luis Ángel Maté (Cofidis), Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol), Pierrick Fédrigo (FDJ-Big Mat), Leigh Howard (GreenEDGE) and Jean Christophe Péraud (AG2R La Mondiale) had gone away after just six kilometres and quickly built up a lead of over five minutes which meant they hoovered up most of the mountains classification points on offer.
However the gap came down steadily and it was all back together for the day's penultimate climb up the Cote d’Aubert le Crès after 163.5km.
Team Sky then moved to the head of affairs with just over 10km remaining and soon after Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) was allowed to chip off the front for a few kilometres, while further back in the peloton Australian national champion Simon Gerrans (GreenEDGE) lost any chance he had of the stage win when he took a crashing fall with 6.3km to go.
Moving into the finale Andreas Klöden (RadioShack) kicked clear with 2.5k remaining and soon after he was reeled in it was the turn of Team Sky's Rigoberto Urán to try his luck but it was soon back together again, with Wiggins prominent in the front rank right next to Tuesday's stage winner Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and they crossed the line virtually alongside each other.
Battle will now be resumed on Thursday on what looks a pivotal fifth stage which finishes with the Montee Laurent Jalabert.
Wiggins says he is relishing the tests ahead, telling www.teamsky.com: "I'm really starting to find my legs now and in the final I was able to stay out of trouble, move up into a decent position and stay right on Valverde's wheel.
"It was good and the team were amazing today - Christian [Knees] sat in the wind all day for me today. G [Geraint Thomas], Kosta [Kanstantsin Siutsou ], Richie [Porte] and Rigo were helping and the other boys were busy getting bottles and things. All of them just made my life easy all day."
Looking ahead to Thursday he added: "It's likely to be pretty similar and a question of emptying it on the last climb and see where it gets you. It's pretty simple really, it's not a tactical 15k climb but instead flat out for six minutes or so."
