Russian INEOS Grenadiers cyclist Pavel Sivakov will compete for France. This was reported on the website of the British team.
The athlete said that he had long wanted to change sports citizenship and submitted a corresponding request to the International Cycling Union (UCI). “Being able to compete internationally as a French citizen makes me incredibly happy. It would be a dream to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris,” Sivakov said.
The Russian also said that he was born in Italy, and at the age of one he moved to France. “This is the place where I was raised and educated, where I fell in love with cycling. This is my home,” Sivakov stressed.
Sivakov is 24 years old. In 2019, the cyclist became the winner of the Tour of the Alps and Tour of Poland multi-day races.
On March 1, the UCI introduced a package of sanctions against Russian and Belarusian cycling. Riders from these countries can participate in competitions under the auspices of the UCI only in a neutral status and provided that their team is not registered as Russian or Belarusian. In addition, national teams are prohibited from participating in international tournaments.
Source: Lenta
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