Selig wins Volta Limburg Classic

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Rüdiger Selig (Katusha) won his first race as a professional today after sprinting to victory at the Volta Limburg Classic. Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox) finished runner-up behind the 24-year-old German, while Paul Martens (Blanco Pro Cycling Team) rounded out the podium for third in the sprint finale of a select 19-rider lead group.

"This is really cool," said Selig. "My teammates did a perfect job today, I am so happy I could finalize their strong effort.

"Timofey first was in the breakaway and everybody gave everything that we could make it into the decisive group. After the successes in De Panne we are all in a pretty good mood and wanted to continue with a victory here in Limburg like Pavel Brutt did for Katusha last year."

After a large escape group was brought back with approximately 70km remaining, five riders counter-attacked and escaped the peloton: Marco Canola (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox), Timofey Kritskiy (Katusha), Bram Tankink (Blanco Pro Cycling Team), Maurits Lammertink (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team) and Luc Hagenaars (Metec-TKH Continental Cyclingteam).

With 47km to go the five leaders held a 1:30 gap on two chasers, Lucas Euser (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) and Steven Van Vooren (An Post-Chainreaction), while the peloton trailed at 3:25.

Sensing that the race was disappearing up the road, more riders attacked from the peloton and caught Euser and Van Vooren to form the first chase group which now contained Euser, Van Vooren, Paul Martens and Steven Kruijswijk (Blanco), Mike Terpstra (Team 3M), Davide Rebellin (CCC Polsat Polkowice), Sander Armee (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani Valvole-CSF Inox), Marc De Maar (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team), Rüdiger Selig (Katusha), Pim Ligthart and Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM), Tobias Ludvigsson (Team Argos-Shimano), Jan Barta (Team NetApp-Endura), Niels Wytinck (An Post-Chainreaction) and Sébastien Delfosse (Crelan-Euphony).

Tankink and Lammertink would drop their three breakaway companions at the head of the race, who would be swept up by the chase group, and with 9km to go Tankink and Lammertink themselves would be caught to form a front group of approximately 20 riders.

Heading into the race finale Keizer made a solo bid for victory with 4km remaining, but was brought back inside the final kilometre under the impetus of Katusha. As the sprint finish began on a slightly uphill stretch of rough tarmac, Selig came to the fore and powered to victory as the group splintered slightly in the approach to the finish line.