Pavel Sivakov is moving to UAE Team Emirates next season and yesterday at the GP de Montréal he got a taste for what his future teammates can do. The Frenchman was the only one keeping up with Adam Yates' attack on the final lap, but had to settle for a second place.
“I was supposed to do the Vuelta, so it was hard for me to miss out on that, because I had good legs in that moment. But I accepted the situation, and I did a good Deutschland Tour," Sivakov said in a post-race interview. "The courses in Plouay last week and Québec on Friday weren’t ideal for me, but I was super happy to be able to fight for the win today. I motivated myself again very quickly after I got the news. I knew I’d still have opportunities to come in these races. The efforts I was making in training for a Grand Tour were a little bit different, but I still had some good races to prepare for coming here, so I was ready."
Sivakov is a rider that doesn't often find his best legs, but when he does he can fight for a top result in some of the biggest races. By this time last year he was just off the back of a second place at the Clásica San Sebastián and victory at the Vuelta a Burgos, and this year he once again found his best form, soaring into a very strong ride inCanada.
“I saw UAE riding on the last laps, so I knew Adam Yates was going to attack in the finale. He’s very strong. I saw him moving up in the bunch, so I got on his wheel, and I was there when he put in a very big attack," he described. Sivakov is another climber who is not explosive but can ride well in the hills, and found the race situation to be perfect for his abilities. He was dropped close to the summit but could latch onto Yates' wheel in the descent, and then the duo collaborated to fight for the sprint between themselves.
"I dropped back a little bit over the top, but I came back up to him. From there, we had to collaborate if we wanted to make it to the finish and that’s what we did," he detailed. "I’m satisfied with the result. I was hoping I could win, and I did a good sprint, but Adam was just stronger today. It would have been a bigger disappointment if it had been a tighter sprint.”
On his final races as an INEOS Grenadiers rider, Sivakov is not worried about the move to UAE when it comes to freedom, he believes he will continue to find opportunities as long as he sees his best form emerge. “If you have the legs, you can find the opportunities. I’m sure and certain that I’ll have my own opportunities in certain races. And it’s good to ride for such a strong team in any case, it’ll be a great change for next year," he concluded.
🇨🇦 | What a fantastic performance from @PavelSivakov! He takes second place in Montreal after a huge effort in one of the most attritional one-day races of the year. He's edged out in the two-up sprint by Adam Yates but takes a hard-earned podium. What a ride! #GPCQM
