Vlasov vents after Trofeo Serra Tramuntana downhill finish

Lotto Dstny's Lennert Van Eetvelt earned a prestigious second career victory on Friday afternoon, beating Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) in a three-up sprint to win Trofeo Serra Tramuntana.

Losing out to a man much their junior will have been frustrating for Vlavov and McNulty, who have now finished second and third, respectively, in two races on the trot. Though for the Bora-Hansgrohe rider, it wasn't his second runners-up spot in as many days that caused him ire, but the route design which he deemed nonsensical.

"This is such a shit finish," he said with blunt honesty to Eurosport after the conclusion. "Why would you put it after a downhill?"

The Russian was visibly irritated by what had unfolded in Mallorca, as the third one-day race of the Challenge Mallorca series was swept up by the Van Eetvelt, who perhaps would have struggled had the race finished uphill.

Vlasov is a noted climber and has won a one-day race on Mont Ventoux in the past, showcasing his talents when gravity works against the riders. The sprint finish in Lluc proved quite the contrast, with the front three riders on the road reaching the finishing straight together and sprinting for the day's honours.

A triumphant Van Eetvelt timed his acceleration to perfection, beating out the Bora-Hansgrohe man by more than half a bike-length in the end. For Vlasov, he was forced to settle for second, as he had done in Wednesday's Trofeo Calvià. McNulty was condemned the same fate, taking home third-place, just as he had on Wednesday.

Unsurprisingly, Van Eetvelt was in a much chipper mood after the finish.

"It was a good thing to have these two climbers with me in the leading group," he said. "But you know, in a sprint with climbers, I know I’m not slow. Often I’m faster than other climbers, so I started my sprint with confidence and I’m really happy that I could win against these two strong men."

Was the downhill finish dangerous?

The day's winner revealed that he had taken the time to do a recon of the finale on Thursday, having chosen to skip the Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx, won by Soudal Quick-Step's Paul Magnier.

Read more: Patrick Lefevere: I don’t care who wins, as long as they’re wearing our jersey

© VeloViewer

The final 4.6km of Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, racing downhill into Lluc

Van Eetvelt was satisfied that his reconnaissance had given him the feel of the finale, which he used to full effect to out-sprint his more experienced rivals. As the Belgian celebrated, Vlasov vented. This was an unsafe finish, in his eyes.

“We did the last five kilometres without pedalling. If we had done that and gone full, it would have been dangerous. Why don't they set the line on the climb?" he asked.

"They made a mistake to be the finish here."

There has been an air of negativity sent Vlasov's way, however, with fans citing the finale as one of the safer descents of the season, and insisting that the Russian was simply annoyed at having tasted defeat for the second day running.

One look at VeloViewer tells us that whilst much of the final 4.6km are indeed downhill, there are no sharp bends and as long as riders came down the road in a small group, it would be a relatively safe finale.

After impressing on the day's climbs, Vlasov, McNulty and Van Eethelt had the luxury of descending as a threesome, which should have allowed them plenty of room to manoeuvre as they negotiated the few bends that stood between the final climb and the village of Lluc.

There is a question to be had about whether downhill finishes are necessary in the modern age - especially at the speeds achieved by the peloton - and Vlasov is right that only the last few hundred metres levelled out in Friday's parcours.

But in this case, the final downhill was relatively shallow and his comments perhaps echoed his frustration more than anything else. the Bora-Hansgrohe rider will now turn his attention to a couple more one-day races at the weekend before he takes to the start of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana on 31 January.

"I waited too long in the sprint myself and then I was locked in. I was on the wrong side and had to do too many meters. But okay, my legs are good," he acknowledged. "That's the most important thing."