QuickStep’s Bram Tankink won the 164.2km first stage of the Tour of Germany from Altenburg to Plauen here on Monday.

The 26-year-old Tankink crossed the finishing line in just over four hours to claim his first major victory since turning professional five years ago.

With 15 kilometres to go the Dutchman accelerated away from Spaniard Jose Cobo Acebo and Austria's Bernhard Eisel finishing around a minute ahead of the duo.

Germany's Jan Ullrich, the favorite for the overall Tour victory here, finished in the main field, three minutes behind the stage winner. T-Mobile captain Ullrich, third in last month's Tour de France, revealed beforehand that he had been suffering from a cold.

In addition to his cold, the weather was not to the liking of Ullrich, as the 164.2km stage was highlighted by heavy rains and very chilly temperatures.

“The cold affected my training last week, but I had no fever, which would weaken the body, so that I am completely optimistic," Ullrich noted.

Team manager Mario Kummer noted that T-Mobile’s other strongman, Alexandre Vinokourov, was also battling a cold, but added that both men are intent upon delivering Ullrich to the top step of the final podium at week’s end.

"In Germany, everyone along the route one wants to see a German rider or team in the lead,” Kummer said before the start. "There is a lot of pressure on German teams to do well here. So we’re bound to see foreigners try to pull off something as the two big German teams – us and Gerolsteiner –spend a lot of energy fighting each other."

Prophetic words as a three-man escape moved away from the field at 29km. Dutchman Tankink joined Spain’s Acebo (Saunier Duval) and Eisel, an Austrian riding for Française des Jeux, and built up a solid lead early on.

Indeed, as the trio neared Plauen, their attention turned to each other, and Tankink gambled by attacking on a small hill with seven km to go.

“I knew my chances were better trying to go on my own, than to face these two in a sprint,” Tankink said.

Indeed, the effort paid off as his two pursuers found that themselves unable or unwilling to coordinate their chase and the Dutchman moved off on his own.

Despite a fall on a slippery turn, Tankink held his own and soloed in for the win. "It was a fright when I slipped away in the curve, but fortunately me nothing happened and I could hold on to my lead and save the win," Tankink said about the first major win of his professional victory in his career. The second stage of the Tour takes place on Tuesday with a 199km race from Pegnitz to Bodenmais.

Results - Stage 1 - Altenburg to Plauen
1. Bram Tankink (Nl), QuickStep, 164.2km in 4:00:25 (41kph),
2. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Sp), Saunier Duval, at  0:48
3. Bernhard Eisel (A), Française des Jeux, at 0:51
4. Sébastien Hinault (F), Crédit Agricole, at 3:07
5. Daniele Bennati (I), Lampre, at 3:07
6. Sebastian Siedler (G), Wiesenhof, at 3:07
7. Luciano André Pagliarini (Bz), Liquigas-Bianchi, at 3:07
8. David Etxebarria Alkorta (Sp), Liberty Seguros, at 3:07
9. Cycril Lemoine (F), Crédit Agricole, at 3:07
10. Rory Sutherland (Aus), Rabobank, at 3:07