Aleksandr Vlasov has announced himself as of the best climbers in the pro peloton after an amazing first WorldTour season with Astana, which has attracted attention from super-team Ineos Grenadiers who looked to sign him before the end of his contract in 2022.
However, with renewed investment as the Kazakh team become Astana - Premier Tech for the 2021 season, the team will look to convince the Russian to stay, while aiming to place him on a Grand Tour podium this year.
"I personally think it is wise for Aleksandr to stay with us," Astana-Premier Tech CEO, Yana Seel, told Wielerflits.
"He is still very young and at the start of his career. He got married quite recently and his private life is also very important to him at the moment. Aleksandr is a very capable and smart rider.
>>> Chris Froome’s 2021 programme revealed
"He is doing very well, not just on the sports side. He also amazes us as a young rider on an organisational level. Aleksandr takes his responsibility strongly."
Astana-Premier Tech will be hoping to hang onto Vlasov, especially after losing Miguel Ángel López to Movistar due to financial issues before their new backing arrived.
The 24-year-old is contracted with the Kazakh team until the end of 2021 but, much like Ineos Grenadiers did with Andrey Amador from Movistar Team and Egan Bernal from Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, the British team are said to have tried to get the Russian climber to move across early, with Vlasov having the same agent as both Amador and Bernal, Giuseppe Acquadro.
At Astana, Vlasov only has Jakob Fuglsang to compete with for top billing at the biggest races, whereas Ineos' stacked squad numbers four Grand Tour winners in Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas, Richard Carapaz and Tao Geoghegan Hart, as well as talented newcomers in Daniel Martínez, Adam Yates and Richie Porte.
Vlasov will be looking to replicate his 2020 form, during which he won the Mont Ventoux Dénivéle Challenge, came third at Il Lombardia, fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico before taking 11th overall at the Vuelta a España.
-
-
Mikel Landa suffered multiple fractures in Giro d’Italia crash, team confirms
The Bahrain Victorious rider looked in great form before he crashed out of the race on day five
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Nacer Bouhanni banned for two months after sprinting incident involving Jake Stewart
The sprinter shoved Stewart in the final of a French one-day race earlier this year
By Alex Ballinger •
-
13-year-old cyclist diagnosed with cancer meets her hero Geraint Thomas
At the start of 2021, 13-year-old cyclist Evie Hartley was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
'Dave Brailsford has my full support,' says Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe
The owner of Ineos Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said he “fully supports” team principal Dave Brailsford after the Richard Freeman scandal.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Ineos Grenadiers respond to Richard Freeman guilty verdict
Team says it's clear Freeman "fell short of the ethical standards required of him as a doctor" but denied any wrongdoing
By Richard Windsor •
-
Tom Pidcock posts staggering 5k run time during off-bike training
The 21-year-old says he'll 'try again in a few days to try and validate this'
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Tom Pidcock on not drinking coffee, his favourite video game, and Back to the Future
Tom Pidcock recently made the move over from development team Trinity Racing to join Ineos Grenadiers and the British team has released a video with him talking about his life and some fun facts.
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Vandals target Ineos Grenadiers team cars in Belgium
Vandals have targeted a number of Ineos Grenadiers team vehicles in Belgium, in what is believed to be an environmental protest.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Six reasons why Rod Ellingworth's return to Ineos Grenadiers is big news
The decision will have major ramifications for Bahrain-Victorious and Mikel Landa
By Chris Marshall-Bell •
-
Tom Pidcock delays start of his cyclocross season
Tom Pidcock postpones the start of his cyclo-cross season to focus on training before returning to racing for the first World Cup race
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
