Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg finally got his first victory for Argos-Shimano when he won today's Binche-Chimay-Binche by launching a powerful acceleration on the uphill finishing straight. The win was a relief for the South African who benefited from the form he built up in his first grand tour in the Vuelta a Espana.

There were great expectations for Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg when the South African signed a contract with Argos-Shimano on the back of a fantastic 2012 season with the continental MTN-Qhubeka team. However, the South African struggled in the first part of the season where he failed to make much of an impact on the higher level.

By the time he reached the Dauphiné in June, his legs have started to get used to the increased speed and he started to clock up results. He finished 4th and 6th on stages in the French race and took 5th and 9th on stages in the Tour de Pologne.

However, the win always eluded him but he finally got back on track when he won today's Belgian one-day race Binche-Chimay-Binche. Having recently finished his first grand tour in the Vuelta, the South African benefited from the extra condition to launch a powerful surge on the uphill finishing straight.

Van Rensburg made it onto the wheel of Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil) who bridged across to pre-race favourite Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) who had launched a furious acceleration from the bottom of the final climb with less than 1km to go. As soon as the junction was made, Van Rensburg put down the hammer, and the two classics stars were unable to match their young companion.

“Van Avermaet made a big attack in the last hundred metres and I went after him together with Bjorn Leukemans," he said. "We were all on our last legs but I was able get across and I kept on going. I was so whacked and I hoped that there was nobody behind me, there wasn’t. I had enough gap to celebrate the victory which always make it special."

The sprint came at the end of a very aggressive race but Argos-Shimano always kept things under control despite the numerous attacks.

“The team was really focussed from the beginning as we knew there was a good chance that a breakaway would go, so we were always in control and near the front," he said.

Last week Van Rensburg was an integral part in John Degenkolb's two stage victories in the Tour de l'Eurometropole and the Belgian stage race have given him the confidence that he was on track for a big win.

“After the Vuelta I have felt better and better," he said. "It took me a couple of days to get back to good racing form, and in Franco Belge I was able to support John Degenkolb in his two stage wins and there I knew that I was feeling really good."

Van Rensburg will race all the way to the end as he also plans to ride the big classic Paris-Tours on Sunday and the Nationale Sluitingprijs in Putte-Kapellen on Tuesday.

“This victory means a lot to me, it’s my first win of the season and first since turning pro; and it comes after a long and hard season," he said. "I now have just two races left on my program, Paris-Tours and Putte-Kapellen.”

Coach Marc Reef was impressed by the teamwork that laid the foundations for the win.

“The boys were really motivated after they had seen how strong Reinhardt was at Franco Belge last week,” he said. “They were attentive the whole time today, but the race was always under the control of one team or another as everybody had something to race for. Even when a group of five riders got away late in the race, Bert De Backer and Roy Curvers were on it immediately. We put Reinhardt in the right position and the way in which he finished it off is really impressive.”

The win was the 26th for Argos-Shimano in 2013.