The French rider from the UAE team, 6th in the <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/03/remco-evenepoel-receives-a-fine-and-driving-ban-from-a-police-judge-he-acknowledges-his-mistake/" title="Remco Evenepoel receives a fine and driving ban from a police judge: "He acknowledges his mistake"”>Tour of Lombardy this afternoon, gave his feelings about the race.
Frenchman Pavel Sivakov had “exceptional legs” on Saturday at the Tour of Lombardy to first help his leader Tadej Pogacar before taking a good sixth place in Como. “I am very happy, I can be reassured by my level at the end of the season“, declared the UAE rider, 27, who shone on several levels in the last Monument of the season.
First by serving as the last torchbearer for his leader in the Sormano pass where Pogacar took off 48.5 km from the finish to win the race for the fourth year in a row. Generally in these cases, once the work is finished, the team members get up to finish freewheeling, or even return directly to the bus. But Sivakov, 27, had “exceptional legs” Saturday and he managed to get back on Pogacar’s first three pursuers, the Belgians Remco Evenepoel and Lennert Van Eetvelt as well as the Spaniard Enric Mas.
An encouraging race for the Frenchman
«I never gave up, I wanted to be on the podium, I had exceptional legs. But behind (the Italian Giulio) Ciccone tactically played very well in the finale and surprised us a little», Commented the Frenchman who finally finished sixth, 4:34 behind his leader. This is the best result in a Monument for this former great hope of world cycling who made a sensational debut when he was still racing under a Russian license with victories in the Tour of Poland and the Tour of the Alps in 2019.
Born in Italy to Russian parents, Sivakov grew up in France, where he took sporting nationality in 2022. With the French team jersey on his shoulders, he found himself alongside Pogacar during the last World Championships when the two men completed a lap of the circuit together in the lead before Pogacar flew to victory.
