For Pavel Sivakov, this is a great first. The rider of the Ineos-Grenadiers formation, winner a few weeks ago of the Tour de Burgos, is called up for the first time in the France team by coach Thomas Voeckler. He will participate, in blue-white-red, in the World Road Cycling Championships in Australia.
Sivakov, Franco-Russian, grew up in Soueich, in Comminges, south of the Haute-Garonne department. When the conflict broke out in Ukraine, he announced that he would endorse 100% French nationality for sports competitions. A carefully considered choice, before the start of the war, he explained in a long interview with France Bleu Occitanie.
The young Ineos runner achieved a very good season 2022, despite his abandonment on the Route d’Occitanie and the last Tour of Spain. Despite being in good shape, he had to leave Vuelta because of a positive test for Covid-19. But Sivakov was able to show his abilities in the last Tour of Italy, where he finished 16th overall. He had taken on the role of Richard Carapaz’s teammate. Before leaving the Tour of Spain, he was 9th. And he won the Tour de Burgos in early August.
With two other Occitans in the peloton of the Worlds
Pavel Sivakov was eager to wear the French team’s tricolor jersey. Last June, he was unable to participate in the French Championships in Cholet, to his great regret. He had caught a virus on the Route d’Occitanie.
On September 25, he will therefore be in the field of the road race of the world championships in Wollongong, Australia. He will support Julian Alaphilippe, double defending champion. Also in the selection are Romain Bardet, Christophe Laporte, Valentin Madouas, Florian Sénéchal and Rémi Cavagna.
Pavel Sivakov will be accompanied by two other Occitans: Quentin Pacher from Toulouse and Bruno Armirail from Bigourdan.