On the penultimate day of the Mallorca Challenge, a 170km route from Pollença to Andratx was to provide for the day’s racing, ending with a 2km final climb that was up to 15 per cent steep. With 40km of road left, the peloton had been whittled down to about 50 riders, and on the final climb, BORA – hansgrohe was still at the front with Emanuel Buchmann and Aleksander Vlasov. In his first race of the season, the newcomer to the team from Raubling put in a strong performance as he fought against Valverde and McNulty in the final few hundred metres for the win. Finishing just three seconds behind the eventual winner Valverde, he ended up placing third. Teammate Frederik Wandahl also took the Esprints Especiales prize.
Result
01 A. Valverde 4:14:50
02 B. McNulty +0:00
03 A. Vlasov +0:03
16 E. Buchmann +0:39
From the Finish Line
“The team worked together perfectly. We were at the front of the field all day and I’m really proud of the great performance that the guys put in. In the finale, Emanuel tried to bring me into a good position and I headed into the last climb in about fourth position. It’s really special to be on the podium in my first race with the Band of Brothers, and I want to say a big thanks to my teammates.” – Aleksander Vlasov
“There is a lot to be pleased with in today’s race. The guys were very motivated and we saw an excellent team performance on the road. It’s good that such a unit has been able to grow together in a relatively short period of time. So chapeau to the team for this. Third place is a nice result for Aleks and it was also great to see that Frederik also took the Esprints Especiales prize. So two riders on the podium after such a tough stage is a great sign.” – Thorsten Schmidt, Sports Director
