With just over 8km remaining on a wet and cold stage of 200km - that featured dirt tracks - the field is forced to turn back after going off course.
Sunday's penultimate stage 5 of the Tour of Alberta in Canada was billed as an epic, though there were no major climbs.
Instead, it took the riders 206.2km from Edson to Spruce Grove on a mainly flat route that included four sections of dirt track; cut from the planned six sections totalling 56km because of the wet weather.
It still promised to produce memorable racing, but turned to chaos when the peloton went off course with just over 8km to the finish.
Eventual stage winner Lasse Norman Hansen (Cannondale-Garmin) got clear very early in a group of six that quickly reduced to four men.
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Joining the strong Dane out front were Tom Zirbel (Optum Pro Cycling), Derrick St John (Silber Pro Cycling) and Fred Rodriguez (Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis).
Hansen took off from the others in a brave move on a dirt track with 40km still to come.
And just before disaster struck, he had a lead of 1:08 over the reduced peloton and looked to have the stage won.
Sven Erik Bystrom (Katusha) was off the front of the bunch hunting down lone leader Hansen but went the wrong way at an intersection.
He appeared to have followed race and police vehicles when he went straight at a crossroads where he should have turned right for two laps of a small finishing circuit.
The bunch followed him and as soon as the error was realised they were all forced to do a U-turn in the road and ride back on course.
Sam Bennett well wrapped up against the elements in a very cold Canada over the last few days.
Meanwhile, Hansen had 1½ laps of the two finishing circuits done before he realised there was any problem behind.
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The race organisers decided to scrap the finishing circuits for the main field.
If that wasn't bad enough, Hansen had to wait at a crossroads and let the peloton go ahead of him in order that he wouldn't catch them and spoil what was a well earned victory salute.
And to put the cherry on the cake, Laurent Didier of Trek Factory Racing was riding between Hansen and the bunch after he was dropped by the peloton but then took the correct turn onto the circuits to go ahead of the field.
Didier passed through the finish for the first time not knowing if his race was over or if he should keep going, gesturing to the people on the roadside to see what he should do.
He was awarded 2nd place behind the Danish winner, some 1:58 in arrears.
And then the large group that had gone off course, including Ireland's Sam Bennett, was next some 5:39 down.
There was no change at the top of the general standings, with Bauke Mollema (Trek Factory Racing) still leading from Adam Yates (Orica GreenEdge) by six seconds. Tom-Jelte Slagter (Cannondale-Garmin) is 3rd at 22 seconds.
Stage winner Hansen jumped from 23rd to 6th overall and is now just 59 seconds down.
It will be all to play for on the 11 laps of the finishing circuit in Edmonton on Monday, with a climb each lap.
Summary of the chaos
In full; watch last miles from 19:40
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