Belgium's Tom Boonen won the 196-km sixth stage of the Tour de France, which was marred by a crash involving two thirds of the pack one kilometre before the finish in Angers.
Boonen outsprinted what was left of the peloton to score his first Tour win ahead of Australian Stuart O'Grady and Germany's Erik Zabel.
However, most of the bunch were caught up in a massive pile-up just under the red flame signalling the last kilometre.
Australian Robbie McEwen, the points classification leader, and Austrian Rene Haselbacher were among the most seriously injured.
Five times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and current race leader Thomas Voeckler were both held up by the crash but crossed the finish line unhurt.
According to Tour rules, riders crashing in the last kilometre are awarded the same time as the winner and the incident should have no influence on the overall standings.
Ireland's Mark Scanlon finished in the peloton in 48th position and was credited with the same time as the winner.
The start in Bonneval had set the tone for a dramatic stage.
After 13 km in the flat but windswept stage, Armstrong was held back by a massive pile-up involving some 30 riders. The American was unhurt but was reminded that a Tour de France can be quickly lost.
"It's nothing serious. He actually fell on the tarmac. There is not much you can do when a crash takes place just in front of you," a team spokesman said.
"In the first week of the Tour, riders are very nervous and you must be especially careful."
Armstrong is currently sixth overall, nine minutes and 35 seconds behind Voeckler.
Italians Alessandro Petacchi and Mario Cipollini, considered the two most gifted sprinters in the world, both pulled out before the start through injury.