Two-time Santos Tour Down Under winner Andre Greipel seized the moment to kick start his 2013 campaign in spectacular fashion to win tonight’s 51km (30 lap) People’s Choice Classic around Adelaide’s Rymill Park.

The 30-year-old German sat patiently behind his team mates as the peloton approached the final turn into the straight with Australian Matthew Goss (ORICA GreenEDGE) following his every move in hot pursuit.

But it was the finely tuned, Lotto-Belisol lead out train including Australian Adam Hansen, who set up their star for the perfect sprint to the finish.With the 108,000 people, who packed Adelaide's East End, cheering on the peloton, it was Greipel who put the grip on the opening show for the third time.

The overall winner in 2008 and 2010 and four-time Tour de France stage winner was never going to be caught, as hard as Goss tried.

Greipel, who will enjoy a small celebration tonight before Tuesday’s opening L’Oreal Men Expert Stage One over 135km from Prospect to Lobethal, was delighted to start the season in the winner’s circle again.

“It's nice to win the first race of the season. It's easier that we have the same guys (in the Lotto Belisol team) as last year,” said Greipel, who admitted the General Classification of this week's WorldTour event would be impossible in 2013.

“Everyone knows their job and everyone is working together. We stuck to the plan. We controlled the breakaway and Adam (Hansen) made the decision to start the lead out with one-and-a-half laps to go.

“I was happy to finish it off but he General Classification is impossible because the course is too hard. I will try to win some stages. It's important for us to gain some points, which is important for the team license."

It was Hansen who led the peloton into the straight and he was pleased to play his part in delivering the Lotto Belisol plan to keep ORICA GreenEdge at bay, who supported Greipel’s thoughts.

Hansen said Lotto Belisol had a plan and when they stick to the plan, it usually works out.

“Everyone played their role on the team. We try to be the reference team in the bunch sprints,” said Hansen.

“We're the team most dedicated to one sprinter. We have no second rider. It's all for Andre (Greipel).

“We are going to try to win a few stages with Andre. There are two stages that are too hard for him to think of the overall but there is a young kid (Tim) Wellens) for the General Classification. We will see how he goes."

The race was on from the first lap when 41-year-old German legend Jens Voigt (RadioShack Leopard Trek) and Australian young gun Zak Dempster (Uni-SA Australia) broke away.

They opened up almost a minute on the peloton and held the lead until nine laps to go with Dempster, the boy from Bendigo, winning all four intermediate sprints (SKODA Lap 5, Europcar Lap 10, Cycle Instead Lap 15, Jayco Lap 20) to claim the Europcar Most Competitive Rider Jersey.

"It crossed my mind this morning (to attack from the opening lap)," said Voigt, who has made his name as the man who will attack on any stage.

“I (thought) I may as well be doing something stupid and get it going. First race, first attack….

“The kid (Zak Dempster) is half my age. I didn't know anything about him. We worked well together and shared the work.

“I never challenged for the sprints (primes). He's a local kid, why steal his thunder?

“I am just an old diesel engine. It's nice to get ready for the work and to do some work for the boys."

"The attack from the gun wasn't planned for me in particular but for the team, yes,” said Dempster.

“Whoever could be in the front, it was important for us to be present in every breakaway, having a young team racing at home.

“At the end, we were represented in every breakaway because there was only one with Jens (Voigt) and myself.

“Jens was pretty strong, we took turns and I don't think that he really cared about the sprints, that was nice of him."