Raim wins Great War Remembrance Race
By Cycling News
Bernas second, Van Hecke third
Mihkel Raim (Israel Cycling Academy) won the inaugural edition of the Great War Remembrance Race on Friday, triumphing in a three-up sprint in Ypres after a day of racing across West Flanders. Pawel Bernas (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) led out the final sprint but was powerless when the Estonian champion came off his wheel, while Preben Van Hecke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) could barely muster a sprint as he settled for third place.
The all-new one-day race was established to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, and passed by some of the sites of conflict around Ypres, including a trip past the Christmas Truce memorial. The 193km route had echoes of Gent-Wevelgem, as it took in two sectors of cobblestones, three sections of gravel ‘plugstreets’, and the Kemmelberg climb ahead of a 30km run-in to Ypres.
Gent-Wevelgem is also characterised by the wind that blows north of Ypres and, following a rapid opening hour in which a break failed to form, the race was duly blown apart after 60km. When the dust settled there were four groups on the road, and Quick-Step Floors - one of four WorldTour teams at the race alongside BMC Racing, Sunweb, and Lotto Soudal - had three riders in Yves Lampaert, Fabio Jakobsen, and Fernando Gaviria in a front group of 19. BMC and Lotto Soudal also had two each - Michael Schar and Nathan Van Hooydonck for the former, Moreno Hofland and Frederik Frison for the latter - while Sunweb missed the move completely.
Quick-Step, all-conquering in 2018, seemed to hold the upper hand, but Gaviria dropped away from the break, stretching his back, after the three plugstreet sectors with 50km to go. Then on the Kemmelberg - tackled in the opposite direction to Gent-Wevelgem - Jakobsen was dropped, and although he made it back on, the chinks in the armour were obvious.
In the end, Bernas, who had led solo over the Kemmelberg only to crash on the descent, rolled the dice again in a move with Raim and Van Hecke with 10km to go. Thanks to disorganization in the chase group behind, they took their lead all the way to the line. In particular, Lampaert and the BMC riders attacked each other in turn before swinging over, with no one willing to blunt their own chances in committing to the cause.
Bernas accelerated in the final kilometre but couldn’t shake his companions, and Raim then took up the perfect position on the wheel, ready to pounce in the final 100 metres.
“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.”
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Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
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 | 0:00:16 |
11 | Lionel Taminiaux (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | 0:00:17 |
12 | Brian Van Goethem (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | 0:00:19 |
13 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step Floors | |
14 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Aqua Blue Sport | |
15 | Taco Van Der Hoorn (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
16 | Edward Theuns (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
17 | Wesley Kreder (Ned) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
18 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
19 | Floris Gerts (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
20 | Aime De Gendt (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
21 | Huub Duijn (Ned) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
22 | Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
23 | Krists Neilands (Lat) Israel-Cycling Academy | |
24 | Ludovic Robeet (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
25 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bmc Racing Team | 0:00:25 |
26 | Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Quick-Step Floors | |
27 | Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:00:34 |
28 | Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Bmc Racing Team | 0:00:51 |
29 | Neil Van Der Ploeg (Aus) Madison Genesis | 0:00:56 |
30 | Louis Verhelst (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | 0:00:57 |
31 | Peter Koning (Ned) Aqua Blue Sport | |
32 | James Fouche (NZl) Team Wiggins | 0:01:12 |
33 | Mathias Van Gompel (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | 0:01:23 |
34 | Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
35 | Jannik Steimle (Ger) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
36 | Jasper De Laat (Ned) Metec - Tkh Continental Cyclingteam P/B Mantel | |
37 | Bert De Backer (Bel) Vital Concept Cycling Club | |
38 | Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie | |
39 | Enzo Wouters (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
40 | Kristian Aasvold (Nor) Team Coop | |
41 | Benjamin Perry (Can) Israel-Cycling Academy | |
42 | Guillaume Seye (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
43 | Matthew Holmes (GBr) Madison Genesis | |
44 | Corentin Navarro (Fra) Team Wiggins | |
45 | Gianni Marchand (Bel) Cibel - Cebon | |
46 | Kamil Gradek (Pol) Ccc Sprandi Polkowice | |
47 | Michal Paluta (Pol) Ccc Sprandi Polkowice | |
48 | Jimmy Turgis (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
49 | Gustav Höög (Swe) Team Coop | |
50 | Michiel Stockman (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | |
51 | Julien Stassen (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
52 | Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
53 | Piet Allegaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
54 | Timothy Dupont (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
55 | Jonas Koch (Ger) Ccc Sprandi Polkowice | |
56 | Mathias De Witte (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | 0:02:31 |
57 | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:03:31 |
58 | Miles Scotson (Aus) Bmc Racing Team | 0:04:43 |
59 | David Boucher (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | 0:05:00 |
60 | Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:05:15 |
61 | Olav Hjemsæter (Nor) Team Coop | |
62 | Alfdan De Decker (Bel) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
63 | Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | 0:08:30 |
64 | Itamar Einhorn (Isr) Israel-Cycling Academy | 0:09:33 |
65 | Andrew Fenn (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
66 | Tom Van Vuchelen (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | |
67 | Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Quick-Step Floors | |
68 | Campbell Stewart (NZl) Team Wiggins | |
69 | Shane Archbold (NZl) Aqua Blue Sport | |
70 | Stan Godrie (Ned) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
71 | Stan Dewulf (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
72 | Marko Kump (Slo) Ccc Sprandi Polkowice | |
DNF | Stijn De Bock (Bel) Cibel - Cebon | |
DNF | Arthur Baude (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | |
DNF | Gordon De Winter (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | |
DNF | Anthony Debuy (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | |
DNF | Jérémy Frehen (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | |
DNF | Laurenz Rex (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | |
DNF | Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Franklin Six (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
DNF | Robby Cobbaert (Bel) Cibel - Cebon | |
DNF | Kenny Molly (Bel) Ago - Aqua Service | |
DNF | Johannes De Paepe (Bel) Cibel - Cebon | |
DNF | Frantisek Sisr (Cze) Ccc Sprandi Polkowice | |
DNF | Timothy Stevens (Bel) Cibel - Cebon | |
DNF | Lennert Teugels (Bel) Cibel - Cebon | |
DNF | Wim Reynaerts (Bel) Cibel - Cebon | |
DNF | Richard Handley (GBr) Madison Genesis | |
DNF | Pawel Franczak (Pol) Ccc Sprandi Polkowice | |
DNF | Tobyn Horton (GBr) Madison Genesis | |
DNF | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Sondre Enger (Nor) Israel-Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Maxime Farazijn (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
DNF | Wouter Wippert (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
DNF | Yoann Bagot (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club | |
DNF | Erwann Corbel (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club | |
DNF | Daniel Turek (Cze) Israel-Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Gaetan Lemoine (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club | |
DNF | Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
DNF | Clément Carisey (Fra) Israel-Cycling Academy | |
DNF | Robert Scott (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
DNF | Clement Orceau (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty-Groupe Gobert | |
DNF | Simon Sellier (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Axel Journiaux (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Jeremy Cornu (Fra) Direct Energie | |
DNF | Jimmy Duquennoy (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
DNF | Alex Kirsch (Lux) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
DNF | Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Norwegian Development Team | |
DNF | Justin Mottier (Fra) Vital Concept Cycling Club | |
DNF | Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Remy Mertz (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Joeri Stallaert (Bel) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
DNF | Manuel Bosch (Aut) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
DNF | Gian Friesecke (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
DNF | Lukas Meiler (Ger) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
DNF | Roland Thalmann (Swi) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
DNF | Dominik Amann (Aut) Team Vorarlberg Santic | |
DNF | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | Jonathan Mcevoy (GBr) Madison Genesis | |
DNF | Dries De Bondt (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Joakim Kjemhus (Nor) Team Coop | |
DNF | Sean De Bie (Bel) Veranda's Willems Crelan | |
DNF | Oliver Robinson (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
DNF | Jesse Yates (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
DNF | Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Chad Haga (USA) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Alexander Evans (Aus) Mobius Bridgelane | |
DNF | Simon Gerrans (Aus) Bmc Racing Team | |
DNF | Davide Martinelli (Ita) Quick-Step Floors | |
DNF | Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Team Sunweb | |
DNF | Niels De Rooze (Bel) Tarteletto - Isorex | |
DNF | Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Floors | |
DNF | Taylor Karl Gunman (NZl) Madison Genesis | |
DNF | Guillaume Haag (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | |
DNF | Max Emil Boholm Kørner (Nor) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | |
DNF | Ross Lamb (GBr) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | |
DNF | Adam Lewis (GBr) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | |
DNF | Arthur Pagnaer (Bel) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | |
DNF | Edward Walsh (Can) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | |
DNF | Louis Bendixen (Den) Team Coop | |
DNF | Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Fredrik Ludvigsson (Swe) Team Coop | |
DNF | Conor Dunne (Irl) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Ylber Sefa (Alb) Tarteletto - Isorex | |
DNF | Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Tarteletto - Isorex | |
DNF | Polychronis Tzortzakis (Gre) Tarteletto - Isorex | |
DNF | Adam Blythe (GBr) Aqua Blue Sport | |
DNF | Jon-Anders Bekken (Nor) Team Coop | |
DNF | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
DNF | George Pym (GBr) Madison Genesis | |
DNF | Andreas Andersson (Swe) T.Palm - Pôle Continental Wallon | |
DNS | Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Wb Aqua Protect Veranclassic |
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