Oss' BMC team were happy to let a sextet of riders breakaway at the start of the stage; with Giorgio Cecchinel (AND), Simone Andreetta (BAR), Cesare Benedetti (BOA), Luis Mas Bonet (CJR), Nikolay Mihaylov (CCC) and Federico Zurlo (LAM) built a lead of six minutes.
With 100 km to go, Taylor Phinney and Jempy Drucker increased their efforts at the front of the peloton and, by the time the escapees reached the Val di Cecina, the gap was decreasing.
Zurlo was the first over the Pian di Forno, the first categorised climb of the stage, while a trip through the Valle de Diavolo saw riders fall out the back of the peloton.
The break was finally caught inside the 9 km mark as Giovanni Visconti (MOV) attempted a quickly quelled attack on the 18% climb of Il Cerreto.
Another attack by Mirko Selvaggi (AND) was brought under control with 4 km to go, as Peter Kennaugh (SKY), then Diego Ulissi (LAM) trading rapid assaults, with the GC contenders staking their places at the front of the peloton.
It was Ulissi's attack that caused the most damage to the peloton, leaving a group of 20 riders remaining at the head of the race. As the pace of the group fell, thanks to a reluctance for anyone to take control, Stybar seized his chance to shoot off, over the summit and go clear on the descent.
Davide Formolo (CPT) and Oscar Gatto (TNK) tried to reel in Stybar, but to no avail, while Vincenzo Nibali (AST) also failed with a solo chase in the final kilometre, as Stybar took the win.
Nibali was caught by the remnants of the pack with 100m to go, with Peter Sagan (TNK) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (DDD) taking second and third, respectively, one second down.
Stybar's ten-second time bonus, for the stage win, sees him take the overall lead, putting him nine seconds ahead of BMC's Greg van Avermaet and Tejay van Garderen.
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Stage winner and GC leader Zdenek Stybar (EQS):
"We planed it a little bit two and a half weeks ago with Bramati that this could be a stage for me, so I was pretty focused for this stage.
"I knew the last two or three kilometres were very technical, which is good for me. I tried to go. I didn't really plan to go there but I saw the opportunity, the space, and I thought 'ok, the bunch will slow and I'll go with everything I have.'"
Stage Results:
1. Zdenek Stybar (EQS) 5:10:03
2. Peter Sagan (TNK) + :01
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (DDD) + :01
General Classification:
1. Zdenek Stybar (EQS) 5:33:50
2. Greg van Avermaet (BMC) + :09
3. Tejay van Garderen (BMC) + :09
4. Damiano Caruso (BMC) + :09
5. Daniel Oss (BMC) + :09
6. Gianluca Brambilla (EQS) + :11
7. Bob Jungels (EQS) + :11
8. Peter Sagan (TNK) + :14
9. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) + :18
10. Sebastian Reichenbach (FDJ) + :18
Climber Classification:
1. Zdenek Stybar (EQS) 5
2. Federico Zurlo (LAM) 5
3. Davide Formolo (CPT) 3
Points Classification:
1. Zdenek Stybar (EQS) 15
2. Simone Andretta (BAR) 10
3. Peter Sagan (TNK) 10
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