The 43rd edition of the Tartu Rattaralli, one of the oldest granfondo events in Estonia over 126 km was won in a tight finish competition by Mihkel Räim. Räim and Alo Jakin, who finished second, attacked just five kilometers before the finish.
“I thought my attack would be controlling, but it turned out that the men ahead were exhausted, and Alo and I managed to break away. We worked together and had to push all the way to the end because we saw two men approaching from behind. Since I suspected that I was better in the sprint, I dared to leave it to the finish,” the winner explained.
“When Mihkel attacked in Ülenurme, I had already been thinking about where to attack for a long time and knew from experience that it was a good moment to follow,” commented the Jakin.
Mihkel Räim completed the distance in 02:39:28. Alo Jakin was recorded with the same time as the winner, while third-placed Lauri Tamm was only three seconds behind.
The fastest woman was Elisabeth Ebras, who finished in 02:41:32, beating Lithuanian Akvile Gedraityte by one second in a group sprint. Polish rider Tamara Szalinska also lost to the winner by just one second, taking third place.
“It’s very satisfying to win at home,” said Ebras. “The goal was to stay within the main group during the race to be in the best possible position at the end, and I succeeded,” added the ladies winner.
A total of over 5,000 cyclists participated in the 43. Tartu Rattaralli.
