Endura Racing have scored another international victory.

Local hero, Rene Mandri, led home the men in black and green at the SEB Tartu Grand Prix on Sunday (27).

The Estonian was one of a number of riders from the Scottish-based Endura squad to feature in the 187km, UCI 1.1 category race that included several Pro Continental teams, including Thomas Voekcler’s Europcar squad.

“It was great to win front of the home crowd,” said Mandri.

“It was a hard race which started in the rain which made the streets of Tartu very slippy.

“Halfway through the sun came out and there was an amazing crowd next to the road cheering me and Endura Racing.”

Mandri was one of five teammates in a breakaway of 14 who held off a peloton driven by Christina Watches, Champion Systems, and Europcar.

Endura Racing’s Alexandre Blain, winner of the Maldon Dengie Tour, and Alexander Wetterhall, won the intermediate sprints.

At just under 35km from the finish, Paul Voß attacked, and when the German was caught, Wetterhall countered.

Mandri’s escape came 20km from the finish, with one other rider, but the Estonian would not be denied in front of his home crowd.

Mandri’s victory came the day after his team had suffered mechanical problems in the closing kilometres of the 187km Tallinn-Tartu GP.

Wetterhall said victory in the second of Endura’s Estonian engagements was a just reward for hard work and smart tactics.

“We didn’t get a good gap, even if the pace was super-high, until four laps to go when we decided to ‘let hell break lose’.

“It worked out nicely – with Rene winning and  Paul in third, Alex in sixth and me in eleventh,” he said.