Aleksandr Vlasov finishes tenth in Tour de la Provence General Classification
Astana – Premier Tech’s Russian rider Aleksandr Vlasov secured tenth place in the General Classification of Tour de la Provence, his first race of the 2021 season.
The French race ended with the fourth stage from Avignon to Salon-de-Provence which, as expected, finished with a bunch sprint, won by Phil Bauhaus.
Ivan Ramiro Sosa sealed the overall victory after claiming the decisive third stage which ended with an uphill battle on Mont Ventoux, where Vlasov crossed the line in 11th place, 48 seconds behind the Colombian rider.
“I think that I did quite a good race. I was coming here with a goal to get prepared for the main races of the first half of the season, to feel the racing rhythm and to see my present level. With this in mind, I think I got what I wanted to achieve. Also, I am really happy with the way we rode the race as a team. Despite my crash on the second stage, yesterday I felt quite good and I tried to do my best on such a big and hard climb as Mont Ventoux. I am still missing something, but I am sure the better feeling and results will come at the next races”, – said Aleksandr Vlasov.
“If we talk in general, we had a good race. We brought a strong squad here with the main goal to test our form, to see our level, to understand where we need to improve before the first important races of the season. The guys worked really well together, they were a united team, and this is very important. All the guys did well, we were active both on the flat stages, helping Alex Aranburu, and on yesterday’s mountain stage, where the team supported Aleksandr Vlasov and Alexey Lutsenko superbly. We still have a lot of work to do, and that’s normal at the very start of the season. Of course, we really want to start the year with a victory, but I think that high results will not be far away, because I feel that the team is ready and motivated”, – said Dmitry Fofonov, Astana – Premier Tech Team Performance Manager.
Race profile:
Tour de la Provence
Stage 4: Avignon – Salon-de-Provence, (163.2km)
Top 3: 1. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain – Victorious); 2. Davide Ballerini (Deceuninck – Quick Step); 3. Nacer Bouhanni (Team Arkea Samsic).
Astana – Premier Tech Top-3: 23. Aleksandr Vlasov; 37. Gorka Izagirre; 57. Alexey Lutsenko.
GC Top-3: 1. Ivan Sosa (INEOS Grenadiers); 2. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick Step); 3. Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers).
Astana – Premier Tech GC Top-3: 10. Aleksandr Vlasov; 20. Alexey Lutsenko; 30. Ion Izagirre.
Photo credit: @ByWilliamCannarella