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Volta a Catalunya: Aleksandr Vlasov finishes the WorldTour stage race in fourth place

Aleksandr Vlasov at the Volta a Catalunya 2024 (Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency)

Following his impressive performance at Paris-Nice two weeks ago (stage winner and 5th overall), Aleksandr Vlasov entered the Volta a Catalunya with high ambitions. In the end, he confirmed his strong form with another top result.

Despite numerous attacks, today's seventh stage of the Volta a Catalunya saw no significant changes in the overall standings. BORA - hansgrohe's rider Aleksandr Vlasov finished the tour through Catalonia in fourth place in the general classification, 5:56 minutes behind the overall winner Tadej Pogačar.

"It was a really tough week, especially the last few days were very intense. In the end, I just narrowly missed the podium," Vlasov explained at the finish. Halfway through the race, the 27-year-old was in third place in the standings, but ultimately, he had to pay tribute to the demanding course of the race. "Nevertheless, I'm very satisfied with my form this spring. In the past few weeks, I've had really good legs."

Indeed, Vlasov continued his impressive series of good results in Catalonia: After securing three podium finishes at the Mallorca Challenge, he also finished third in the Valencia Tour. This was followed by a stage win and a fifth place overall at Paris-Nice, along with the recent top result in Catalonia.

"After Paris-Nice, Aleks was in excellent shape. He started the Volta a Catalunya equally strong. Ultimately, though, the intense racing took its toll. While we missed the podium, securing fourth place is still a good result," commented Christian Pömer, who was the Sporting Director for BORA - hansgrohe in Catalonia. He also praised the rest of the team's efforts: "For instance, Florian Lipowitz. His performance was outstanding, and he provided significant support to Aleks," he noted.

After the demanding days in Spain, Aleksandr Vlasov will now focus on recovery. He will then prepare for his next races at Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Tour de Romandie. “There, I'm looking forward to having good legs again," Vlasov said.

Result Volta a Catalunya 2024

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