Vuelta a Burgos win "was necessary" for resurging Pavel Sivakov

Pavel Sivakov showed great signs of form during the Clasica San Sebastian, but after a very strong week in Burgos, he came home with the overall title in the bag.

“I didn't expect to win, even though I knew I was in excellent shape," Sivakov said after finishing the final and queen stage of the race. "It's been a long time since I won, so it's very satisfying and it gives me a lot of confidence. This was necessary!”

Although coming up the under-23 ranks as one of the most talented and promising climbers, he's struggled to get the wins flowing since turning pro win INEOS Grenadiers in 2018. He had in fact been on a dry spell for almost three years, whilst other riders within the team surged forward and took the lead. However, this week was Sivakov's time to shine, as he attacked stage three on the toughest ascent of the race to gain crucial time on the competition.

And yesterday in the ascent to Lagunas de Neila, he managed to keep everything under control alongside a strong INEOS Grenadiers. Having missed out on the stage win, he crossed the line third with the GC in the bag.

Asked if he was going to be a part of the team's lineup for the Vuelta a Espana, the Frenchman responded: “I don't know the selection for the Vuelta a España yet, it has to be made in the team next week. We'll see if I'm part of it. If not, we'll talk about it and see what my schedule will be". However, after his recent performances, it seems certain that Sivakov will start his third Vuelta.