"It’s a satisfying feeling to have done important work for Primoz" - Aleksandr Vlasov completes 1-3 for Bora in Dauphiné

After crash-mared stage 5 of Critérium du Dauphiné, everyone was curious how will the GC battle play out on the slopes of Le Collet d'Allevard on Friday. BORA - hansgrohe held multiple trumphs in their hands, as seemingly only Primoz Roglic hit the deck on Thursday.

However the Slovenian answered all questions surrounding his shape with a dominant victory. Teammate Aleksandr Vlasov played a huge part in the success, as he first opened the race with an attack with 5km from the finish, and then proceeded to smash the pace for Roglic, reducing the front group to just three. When the Slovenian opened his sprint, Vlasov parked a bit, but still held onto the podium result.

And while Roglic moves up to the overall lead, Vlasov himself sits in fifth place overall ahead of the final two stages, where could certainly put pressure on riders in front him in the provisional standings. "It’s a satisfying feeling to have done important work for Primoz," Vlasov told Cycling Pro Net.

In case the Slovenian wouldn't have been ready to give his best in the final, back-up leaders Vlasov and Jai Hindley were prepared to step in. "We said to ourselves this morning that we were going to do as we felt, because after the crash the day before, you never know what your legs are like," explains Vlasov.

"When De Plus attacked, Primoz asked me if I could go. So I was in the front and Primoz following wheels. When I saw him come back, I gave everything until the end. We did as much as possible to gain time in the general classification. And while it's not his goal to win the GC, if we can do it, why not. He can win the Tour de France, so if I can help, it's fantastic," Vlasov concludes.