Ackermann who rides for UAE Team Emirates covered the 219-kilometres stage in 5hours 9mins 2secs.

Italy’s Jonathan Milan riding for Bahrain Victorious and Britain’s Mark Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan Team were both given the same time.

"It's a very special victory for me, my first this year after I broke my coccyx last year," Ackermann said. 

"All the sprinters are very strong and it was a very tense finish. 

"I didn't know how slippery it was so I decided to hit the front early. 

"Cavendish was very strong, 

"Now we'll work for the climbers and I hope the second victory for our team will come soon."

Geraint Thomas of Britain and Ineos Grenadiers still holds the maglia rosa as overall race leader with a total time of 44hrs 35mins 35secs.

He holds a two second advantage over Slovenia’s Primož Roglič  of Jumbo-Visma in the general classification.

Portugal’s Joao Almeida of UAE Team Emirates is 22 seconds back in third.

Thomas and Roglič  were both involved in the crash with Geoghegan Hart which came about 70km from the finish.

Geoghegan Hart was taken off the course by ambulance but Thomas and Roglič were both able to remount and continue.

"I'm devasted this is how my Giro ended," Geoghegan Hart said later.

"I was so excited about the remainder of this race and loving every minute of it."

"As usual we were jostling for position and a UAE guy crashed next to me, I don't know exactly who was taken out after me," Thomas said.  

"Unfortunately Tao is badly injured, it's obviously a big loss, he was going very well.

"He was in a really great position and it's very unfortunate to lose him this way."

Earlier in the day, the Soudal Quick-Step team were forced to withdraw four of their riders after positive tests for COVID-19.

They had lost race leader Remco Evenepoel on Sunday when he also tested positive.

The race resumes tomorrow (Thursday) with stage 12 from Bra to Rivoli, a distance of 185km but the riders also face a 1,007m climb to the Colle Briada.