Aleksandr Vlasov Finishes Fourth in Volta a Catalunya, Confirms Strong Form
After an impressive performance at Paris-Nice, where he secured a stage win and finished 5th overall, Aleksandr Vlasov entered the Volta a Catalunya with high ambitions. Despite fierce competition, Vlasov finished the race in fourth place in the general classification, just 5:56 minutes behind the overall winner, Tadej Pogačar.
Reflecting on his performance, Vlasov shared, “It was a really tough week, especially the last few days were very intense. In the end, I just narrowly missed the podium.” Although he was initially in third place halfway through the race, Vlasov acknowledged the challenging nature of the course. However, he expressed satisfaction with his form this spring, stating, “Nevertheless, I’m very satisfied with my form this spring. In the past few weeks, I’ve had really good legs.”
Vlasov’s strong showing in Catalonia adds to his recent string of success, including podium finishes at the Mallorca Challenge and Valencia Tour, a stage win, and fifth place overall at Paris-Nice. Christian Pömer, the Sporting Director for BORA – hansgrohe, acknowledged the team’s efforts, remarking on Vlasov’s performance and the crucial support provided by teammate Florian Lipowitz.
Looking ahead, Vlasov plans to focus on recovery before gearing up for upcoming races at Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Tour de Romandie. “There, I’m looking forward to having good legs again,” Vlasov expressed.
The results of the Volta a Catalunya 2024 are as follows:
1. POGAČAR Tadej UAE Team Emirates 28:21:29
2. LANDA Mikel Soudal Quick-Step + 3:41
3. BERNAL Egan INEOS Grenadiers + 5:03
4. VLASOV Aleksandr BORA – hansgrohe + 5:56
5. MAS Enric Movistar Team + 6:01
[Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency]
