Aleksandr Vlasov rues downhill finish at Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana: "What a foolish finish this was"

Aleksandr Vlasov made the difference at the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana but had to fight for the win in a sprint. However, he was left angry with the downhill finale that the riders undertook in Lluc.

The Russian attacked on the climb of the Puig Maior after being launched by teammate Aleotti, and dragged alongside him Brandon McNulty and Lennert Eetvelt who eventually won the Spanish race. A sprint between the three decided it, McNulty launched it first out of the final corner in a slight downhill, but was overtaken later.

"What a foolish finish this was. Why do you let the race end in a descent? There really was no need for that," the Russian rider complained. However it wasn't just the sprint, but the entire final minutes of racing. "We didn't pedal the last five kilometers, because we didn't want to take any risks and commit suicide on the descent, but I don't understand why we didn't finish uphill. It really doesn't make any sense!"

Vlasov sprinted to second behind the Belgian youngster, his second runner-up spot of the week. "I had really good legs and the climbing went well, but I made a big mistake at the front by perhaps waiting too long to start my sprint," he admits. "Because I was boxed in along the boarding on the left and I could no longer complete my sprint."