Whilst Primoz Roglic scratched and clawed to keep his general classification dream alive at the 2024 Tour de France on the thrilling gravel stage on Sunday, now though, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe leader has been dealt a rest day blow.
One of the expected mountain super domestiques for Roglic to lean upon as the Tour de France continues will no longer be a part of the Grand Tour as Aleksandr Vlasov has been forced to abandon the race with an ankle fracture. "Unfortunately, Aleks Vlasov will leave the Tour de France due to an ankle fracture. Heal up soon, Aleks," writes an official post by the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe team.
On the stage 9 gravel, Vlasov was involved in a very scary moment as, forced towards the edge of the road in the GC group, Vlasov spectacularly went head over heels off the tarmac and into a ditch. Questionably however, despite the fact he could barely stand up straight and looked visibly dazed, bloodied and possibly showing signs of concussion, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe mechanic did no concussion check on Vlasov, instead urging him back onto his bike and pushing the wobbly rider back into the race.
As it turns out now, that wobbliness may have been as much the result of a broken ankle as it was any serious head trauma. Nevertheless, Vlasov's departure will be a big blow for Roglic with some of the biggest mountain challenges of the 2024 Tour de France still to come over the course of the next two weeks.
Despite the crash, Vlasov had managed to save his own general classification ambitions and entered the rest day 11th overall, 4:36 down on the Maillot Jaune wearing race leader Tadej Pogacar.
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