It has been a long time coming but today Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg finally took his first win for Argos-Shimano. In the Belgian one-day race Binche-Chimay-Binche, the South African mixed it up with classics stars Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) on the tough uphill finishing straight and his experienced rivals had no answer to his final powerful surge.

Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg had a fantastic 2012 season for MTN-Qhubeka and was seen as a hot prospect for the future when he joined Argos-Shimano prior to the season. However, the fast and powerful South African had a first time as a professional in the ProTeam ranks.

He completed the Vuelta a Espana last month and his first grand tour appears to have served him well. Today he finally took his first win as an Argos rider when he won the final Wallonian race of the season, Binche-Chimay-Binche which is also known as Memorial Franck Vandenbroucke.

Pre-race favourite Greg Van Avermaet appeared to have locked up the win when he powered clear of the peloton on the uphill finishing straight, overtook a fading Romain Zingle (Cofidis) and quickly built up a gap. However, Bjorn Leukemans refused to give up and the Belgian set off in pursuit with Van Rensburg, Lars Boom (Belkin) and recent Tour de l'Eurometrople winner Jens Debusschere (Lotto Belisol) on his wheel.

Boom and Debusschere were unable to keep up with Leukemans and Vans Rensburg who made it across to Van Avermaet who was now paying the price for his early attack. As soon as the junction was made, Van Rensburg launched his own attack and none of his experienced rivals were able to match his powerful surge.

The South African opened up a big gap and soloed across the line to take a beautiful solo win while Leukemans held off Van Avermaet in the sprint for 2nd. A little later, Boom led Debusschere across the line while Michael Van Staeyen (Topsport) was the best of the rest as the splintered peloton passed the line in several small groups.

The race was the penultimate on Belgian soil and is seen as perfect preparation for Sunday's Paris-Tours. Some of today's riders will be back in action on Thursday in Paris-Bourges which is the final major test ahead of the big French autumn classic in the weekend.

A hilly race

The 187,6km race was made up of an opening 123,1km stretch that took the riders over moderately hilly terrain from Binche to Chimay and back to Binche where the peloton tackled 4 laps on a 16,12km finishing circuit. With a cobbled section 1100m from the line and a climb inside the final kilometre, it had a tough finish and while the course was otherwise mostly flat, a sprint was certainly not guaranteed.

Early in the race, Nico Sijmens (Cofidis), Bert-Jan Lindeman (Vacansoleil), Tom Dernies (Wallonie), Maxim Belkov (Katusha) and Thomas Degand (Accent.jobs) got clear and they were allowed to build up a solid gap before the peloton started to chase. When they passed the finish line to start the first lap on the circuit, the advantage had been reduced to around two minutes as Belkin was now trying to make things hard.

A dangerous chase group

With 57km to go, the gap was down to just 1.10 and multiple attacks were now being launched from the peloton. Many of those were successful until Floris Smeyers (Verandas Willems) finally opened a small gap. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto Belisol), Maarten Tjallingii (Belkin) and Julian Kern (Ag2r) all made it across and a little later a 7-rider group containing the likes of Michael Schär (BMC), Benjamin Verraes (Accent), William Clarke (Argos-Shimano), Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil), Jetse Bol (Belkin) and Vladimir Isaychev (Katusha) also joined the chase group.

Crelan had missed the move and so the Belgian team put Sebastien Delfosse on the front. He combined forces with Cofidis and shortly after the second passage of the finish line, the chase group was caught.

The break is caught

Gaetan Bille (Lotto) was next to attack and he was joined Isaychev, Adrian Saez (Euskaltel) and Christophe Premont (Crelan). However, the move had not much success and soon after, they were back in the fold.

The next to get clear was an 8-rider group with Davide Appollonio (Ag2r) who made it across to the front quintet. Just as the junction was made, the peloton had, however, closed it down and with 42km to go everything was back together.

A 19-rider break is formed

Boris Dron (Wallonie) made a counterattack when the peloton momentarily slowed down and he was joined by Boeckmans who rode a very aggressive race. Behind, a 17-rider chase group formed and after a short chase, they caught the front duo to form a 19-rider break.

Schär, Appollonio, Hugo Houle (Ag2r), Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r), Rick Flens (Belkin), Christopher Juul Jensen (Saxo-Tinkoff), Wesley Kreder (Vacansoleil), Frederik Veuchelen (Vacansoleil), Boeckmans, Ricardo Mestre (Euskaltel), Jimmy Engoulvent (Sojasun), Stephane Poulhies (Cofidis), Pieter Jacobs (Topsport), Frederic Amorison (Crelan), Premont, Antoine Demoitie (Wallonie), Dron, Fabio Polazzi (Wallonie) and Bram Nolten (Doltcini) managed to build up a 30-second gap before the peloton started to chase. Katusha, Argos and Accent had all missed the move and they combined forces with Topsport Vlaanderen who had Jacobs in the escape, to gradually reduce the gap.

The break splits up

The cohesion in the front group was not very good and it was clear that the three Ag2r riders were most keen to keep things going. As they hit the finishing straight for the penultimate time, the group was almost caught and Schär hit the front to split things up. He was joined by Kreder and Amorison and those three riders were the first to start the final lap.

Amorison and Schär dropped Kreder and were joined by Jacobs and Mondory. Immediately, Jacobs set off on his own and he got company from Veuchelen and Romain Zingle (Cofidis). They didn't get far and with 13km to go, everything was back together.

Numerous attacks

Numerous attack were now launched with Zingle, Van Avermaet, Roy Curvers (Argos), Romain Guillemos (Europcar), Schär, Anders Lund (Saxo-Tinkoff), Maxime Vantomme (Crelan), Yannick Eijssen (BMC), Kreder and Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport) all being part of the action. No one was, however, able to get a significant gap until Olivier Pardini (Verandas Willems) launched an attack.

The Belgian was joined by Silvain Dillier (BMC) and Tjallingii and a little later Zingle and Evaldas Siskevicius (Sojasun) also made it across. Those 5 riders managed to build up a 20-second gap when the peloton finally started to chase.

Zingle sets off on his own

Argos-Shimano, Lotto Belisol and Saxo-Tinkoff worked together to gradually reduce the gap and with 2km to go, the move was almost neutralized. Pardini broke his chain and fell back to the peloton while Zingle set off on his own just as he passed the flamme rouge.

His former companions were all caught by the peloton from which Van Avermaet launched a furious acceleration. The Belgian passed Zingle and appeared to have locked up the win when Leukemans kicked into action an launched the acceleration that ultimately gave Van Rensburg the win.

Result:

1. Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg

2. Bjorn Leukemans

3. Greg Van Avermaet

4. Lars Boom

5. Jens Debusschere

6. Michael Van Staeyen

7. Jetse Bol

8. Adrien Petit

9. Laurens De Vreese

10. Jan Ghyselinck