André Greipel is one of the most successful riders in the professional peloton but until today his wins had all been taken in sprints. Using today's final stage of the Tour de Luxembourg as preparation for the Tour de France, he went on the attack and took a first ever solo victory.

This afternoon André Greipel won the final stage of the Tour de Luxembourg. He finished solo after he was part of a long breakaway together with teammate Greg Henderson. It's Greipel's tenth victory of the season.

Earlier this week he was the best in the first stage after a bunch sprint. Today it was the 50th UCI victory of Greipel for the Lotto team. The German champion is leading the international victory ranking of 2014.

The riders started in Mersch for a stage of 168.2 kilometers. The finish was in Luxembourg City where five laps of 5.5 kilometers had to be covered with a 900 meter long hill at the end.

It took about fifty kilometers before the break of the day was formed. André Greipel and Greg Henderson were both part of that front group. First Henderson already had rode in front for ten kilometers. The break of nine with also Laurens De Vreese, Andy Schleck and Danny van Poppel, got up to five minutes. Avila Vanegas was the best placed in GC at only 1'43" of leader Breschel, his companions got rid of him.

Forty kilometers from the end Henderson attacked. With two laps to go Greipel joined his teammate, while the peloton kept coming closer. In the descent after the finish and on the flat Henderson set the pace for Greipel.

In the penultimate lap Greipel started a solo at the foot of the climb. The German champion could stay ahead and won. Fourteen seconds later Matti Breschel got second, Teklehaimanot sprinted to place three. Breschel is the overall winner. Vegard Breen, the first Lotto Belisol rider in GC, was fifteenth.

"This victory is something different than normal," Greipel said. "It was the first time in my pro career that I won solo. We really wanted to have someone in the break today, because there was a chance it would make it in this last stage. Eventually Greg and I got in the front group of nine. One of the guys was only standing at 1'43" in the GC, so that was quite dangerous. Luckily we managed to drop him.

"First Greg attacked, so I could safe myself a little bit even as it was hard to stay with the group. I joined Greg in the penultimate lap and he worked for me till the foot of the climb that led towards the finish. Then I covered the last lap on my own. Tactically we rode a really good final together.

"I had cramps at the end so it wasn't easy on that steep climb. I had to go really hard there. In the last lap I started the climb with about thirty seconds advantage and I could hold off the chasers.

"This is of course a special victory because I reached the finish solo, but for me this is also a step towards the Tour de France. I am confident and the condition is well."