Disaster for Primoz Roglic: main domestique Aleksandr Vlasov leaves Tour de France due to ankle fracture

Aleksandr Vlasov will not start in the Tour de France the day after the rest day. The Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe climber has been found to have broken his ankle in his crash on Sunday, which logically prevents him from continuing the Tour.

Vlasov fell at an unnecessary moment in the final phase of Sunday’s gravel stage. The eleventh place rider in the general classification lost focus for a moment, veered off the road, and landed in the grass by the roadside. He still finished the stage in the peloton, together with the other general classification riders, without losing any time.

After the race, there was already quite a bit of disbelief about the images of Vlasov, as he was visibly groggy yet was still put back on his bike. With a bloody neck and elbow, he eventually continued his way, but it was his ankle that concerned Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe the most.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe loses shadow leader with Vlasov

Vlasov hobbled off his bike and underwent further examinations on Monday, which revealed that he had sustained a fracture to his ankle. Continuing to cycle is therefore not an option, and so Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe loses their shadow leader and key domestique of leader Primoz Roglic even before we get to the real mountains.

The German team was already displeased before and after the stage in and around Troyes about the inclusion of gravel sections in the Tour de France, but it should be noted that Vlasov’s crash occurred on an asphalt road.

Vlasov is the fourth rider to drop out of this Tour de France, following Michele Gazzoli (Astana), Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek. It is unclear how long he will be sidelined with his ankle fracture.