"We are just a number, pawns" - Pavel Sivakov shocked with INEOS' decision to keep him out of Vuelta a Espana

Pavel Sivakov rode a very strong Giro d'Italia and settled nicely into a domestique role this year. The Frenchman was set to race the Vuelta a Espana now once again with the same block after months of preparation, but was left out for no specific reason.

“I have to say that last week I was dealt a severe blow. I was told that I would not do the Vuelta, which was very difficult," Sivakov told L'Équipe. "This summer I spent a month and a half at altitude and three weeks with the Vuelta team. Then we all went to the Tour of Pologne together. It went well, very well indeed. Then I immediately returned to altitude to prepare for the Vuelta. I think I was in the best conditions of the whole season, in my opinion even better than before the Giro, and then it went like this…”

Sivakov is leaving the team at the end of the season after turning pro with it back in 2018. He'll join UAE Team Emirates but in the meantime had ridden a more consistent season than some of his past years. With the team aiming very high for the GC at the Vuelta, with Geraint Thomas and Thymen Arensman included in the lineup, Sivakov was also expected to be present. “I received a phone call telling me it wouldn't be possible. It was complicated to manage," he admits, after a lot of preparation and reported good form.

"I've been with the team for six years and everyone knows I'm leaving, but that's cycling. We are just a number, pawns. That's how I see it. He makes you understand that sometimes management has to make difficult decisions. At the moment I was shattered, but have since recovered. I want to take advantage of all the work done this summer and try to do something between now and the end of the season," he concluded.