The 30-year-old discovered yesterday that his IAM Cycling team would be folding at the end of the current International Cycling Union (UCI) WorldTour season, after the Swiss-registered team failed to find a co-sponsor.

Kluge provided the perfect tonic by claiming their first WorldTour victory of the season with a late move at the end of the 196 kilometre route from Molveno to Cassano d'Adda.

It had appeared that the sprinters would take their opportunity to claim a win after a six-man breakaway, which included Italy’s Daniel Oss and Denmark’s Lars Bak, were caught inside the final two kilometres.

However Italy’s Filippo Pozzato opted to launch a late bid for victory and was joined in the final kilometre move by Kluge.

Having caught Pozzato, the German rider swept past the home favourite to move clear to the finish, with the 30-year-old having enough time to celebrate victory as he crossed the line in a winning time of four hours, 31min and 29sec.

"I've been a pro for six years and this is the big victory I have been looking for," said Kluge.

“It's a dream, it wasn't planned at all.

“I was working for Heinrich Haussler, closing the gap for him but I saw a possibility to get away, the finishing line was very near.

“It's a strange feeling, yesterday we were very disappointed to hear that our team is going to stop at the end of the year but we decided to stick together and it's wonderful to come up with a victory to make it up for our disappointment.”

Italy’s Giacomo Nizzolo was the first of the sprinters to finish and claimed second place ahead of Germany’s Nikias Arndt.

Having finished safely in the peloton, on the same time as the winner, Dutch rider Steven Kruijswijk maintained his three minute lead over Colombia's Esteban Chaves.

Third place Alejandro Valverde of Spain remains 3:23 off the lead.

Stage 18, a 244km route from Muggiò to Pinerolo, will take place tomorrow.