Mikhel Raim wins the Great War Remembrance Race

Estonian Mihkel Raim (Israel Cycling Academy) won the sprint over cobblestones ahead of breakaway companions Polish Pawel Bernas (CCC) and the Belgian Preben Van Hecke (Sports Vlaanderen- Baloise) 

The first edition of the Great War Remembrance Race was 192.7 km between Nieuwpoort and Ypres and featured plugstreets and cobblestones.

Commemorating the centenary of the end of the First World War, the route passed the Christmas Truce memorial and Ypres, the center of some of the biggest  attles. In true spring classics style it also took in  two sections of cobblestones, three sections of gravel ‘plugstreets’, and the Kemmelberg climb 30km befire the final in Ypres.

Quick-Step Floors were the favorites but with 50km to go Gaviria was from the breakaway after the three plugstreet sections. On the Kemmelberg with 30 k to go Fabio Jakobsen was dropped.

Bernas, attacked on the Kemmelberg, crashed on the descent,but got into the winning move with Raim and Van Hecke with just 10kms to go

“I can’t really describe it because the last two weeks I haven’t felt good on the bike, I haven’t felt myself. I was really struggling in the last races and today also,” Raim said.

“I punctured on first cobbled sector and I was sure it was game over but I kept pushing and somehow I ended up in the front. I was really waiting for finish to just get the race over. I made right decisions and I don’t know how, but I won the race.”

VIDEO: Great War Remembrance Race Finish

2018 Great War Remembrance Race

1 Mihkel Räim (Est) Israel-Cycling Academy 4:18:25 
2 Pawel Bernas (Pol) Ccc Sprandi Polkowice 0:00:04 
3 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise   
4 Jan Willem Van Schip (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij 0:00:10 
5 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:13 
6 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Quick-Step Floors   
7 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert   
8 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal   
9 Michael Schär (Swi) Bmc Racing Team   
10 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan