Breaking the contract?
The 24-year-old Russian has one year left on his contract with Astana. However, Spanish newspaper El Mundo reports that Vlasov’s agent, Giuseppe Acquadro, is trying to terminate it in order for him to join the Ineos Grenadiers. Will it happen, though? With Astana’s financial difficulties, they were already forced to let their star rider Miguel Ángel López leave at the end of the year. This would be another blow for Alexandre Vinokourov’s team.
Vlasov enjoyed an impressive 2020 campaign, taking victories at the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge as well as at the Giro dell’Emilia. He also finished 3rd at Il Lombardia and 11th overall at La Vuelta. Ineos Grenadiers already announced that Adam Yates, Richie Porte and Dani Martínez will join their ranks next year. Looks like Sir Dave Brailsford wasn’t all too happy with the team’s performance this year.
