Belkin has always been the big home team at the Volta Limburg Classic but for some reason the squad has always failed to come away with the win. That all changed today when Moreno Hofland finally nailed it for the Dutch team and he was pleased to add a very important race to the team's palmares.

Moreno Hofland gave the Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM a home win today in the Volta Limburg Classic. The Dutchman out-sprinted Italians Sonny Colbrelli (Bardiani-CSF) and Mauro Finetto (Neri Sottoli) for the win in Eijsden.

"It's really great to take the win for the team at home in the Netherlands and for our Sports Director, Frans Maassen," Hofland said. "He really wanted to win this race."

The win took special significance for the team in green and black, it marked its first time to win the classic and came on home soil. Besides being in The Netherlands, the race finished in the home province of the team's Sports Director, Frans Maassen.

"It's a special race for me," said Maassen. "I've tried several times to win with the team here and we've finally succeeded with Moreno. Frans Maassen is very happy."

All eyes were on the home team in Saturday's 196-kilometre classic, a race that Maassen considers a little Amstel Gold Race. Team's expected Belkin to control and cover every move, which it did, but when it came time to win, the Dutch team played poker, as well.

"We knew we had to be in every break, that succeeded," Maassen added.

"We had Laurens ten Dam in the final escape of seven men. It was going to be hard for him to win against the guys in the group and so we wanted to put someone more of our men in the move. When that didn't work, we gambled on the sprint with Moreno. We told Laurens not to pull and let it come to the sprint." 

The other teams worked to catch the group through Limburg's hills and did so at 10 kilometres remaining. Nick van der Lijke was not feeling well and was unable to lead-out, but Maassen complemented the team's work.

"Martijn Keizer did a good job, but really, everyone had a hand in the win. In the last 10 kilometres, there were more attacks. Moreno did really well in that group of 45 riders that were front group. He had good potion in the last corner and did the sprint on his own."

"I had to do the sprint on my own because all the guys worked before," Hofland added. "I knew I had to be in the top three in the last corner, I did it. It was all or nothing. I was in second spot in that corner and ready for the win."

With the victory, Hofland also notched up his third win of the season after a stage in Paris-Nice and the Vuelta a Andalucía.

"The season is going well for me. I didn't expect it to be so well," Hofland said. "I felt strong since the beginning of the season, but in the last week I felt a bit sick. I took a rest and reconned the course. I felt better, I knew the illness was over and I knew I'd have a good day."