One year after finishing second on the exact same course, Danny Van Poppel again showed his explosive power when he won today's Tour de Luxembourg prologue. With the cobbled course having been made slippery by rain, the Dutchman admitted to having been a bit crazy in the corners.

Danny van Poppel bettered his second place finish last year in the 2.55-kilometer prologue that opened the Skoda Tour of Luxembourg Wednesday night.  The technical course, which included a 300 meter long cobbled climb of 13%, favored the explosive power of sprinters like Danny van Poppel.

“It’s a prologue that I like, it’s short with a steep cobbled climb and I am very good in the cobblestones, especially when it’s uphill," he said. " I have the power from being a sprinter. Last year I was second by one second so this year I focused on this race. I was very nervous - I am super happy with this victory.”

Most of the starters had to deal with rain and slick roads, making the technical course dicey in the corners and ice-like on the cobbled uphill. When the last riders took to the short race against the clock the rain stopped and the sun even made a brief appearance. 

“It was very dangerous with the rain but I am sprinter so I am a little bit crazy - it was dangerous, but good for me," Van Poppel said. "The second part of the course with the steep cobblestones made the difference and was the most important. On the climb it was important to not go with full gas too early, and save some for the end.”

Calvin Watson was one of the early starters, and the first off from Trek Factory Racing. He had to deal with the worst of the stormy weather, and echoed what most others were saying about the precarious conditions.

“It was dangerous out there," he said. "I did not have the guts to take the corners fast - I felt like a grandma I went so slow.”

Danny van Poppel was the only rider to go under four minutes stopping the clock in 3:58.72, almost four seconds faster than Jean-Pierre Drucker (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) in second. Alex Kirsch (Leopard Development Team) would finish less than half second later for third place. Van Poppel will wear the race's first leader's jersey into the second stage tomorrow.

Director Kim Andersen was thrilled with Van Poppel's second professional win, and second this year; his first win came in early March at the Three days of West-Flanders.

“I had heard that he is in good shape from [Tour of] California and that he really wanted to go for it this year," he said. "Last year he was second, so we really believed he could do it this year. He did well, and he was a little bit lucky with the weather. But it was not really the turns [that made the difference], he really had the power on the climb.”

Gregory Rast, who won this prologue in 2009, was the next best for Trek Factory Racing in 15th place (4:18.31) with Fabio Silvestre right behind in 16th (4:18.83).  

“Everyone did well," Andersen added. "Fränk and Andy [Schleck] went very well. Fränk lost a bit in the end since he lost his chain – he could have been four seconds faster.  We had looked at the weather forecast and normally it should have dried up. It was why I put Danny and Fränk late in the prologue. Of course it started to really rain again, but luckily it stopped before the last riders.”

Tomorrow the Tour of Luxembourg continues with a 172.6-kilometer stage that should target the sprinters - possibly the only one of the five-day hilly race - but whatever happens, Van Poppel already notched another victory into his belt.

“Tomorrow will be hard with (André) Greipel here, but I will do my best and we will see," Van Poppel said.