Frenchman Pavel Sivakov won the Tour of Tuscany, an Italian semi-classic, on Wednesday, his first victory in a one-day race. A specialist in stage races, the Ineos rider had already won the Tour of Poland and the Tour of the Alps in 2019 as well as the Tour of Burgos in 2022.
But in one-day races, the 26-year-old Frenchman had so far remained empty-handed, despite a second place at the Clasica San Sebastian last year and again last Sunday at the Montreal Grand Prix where he had already shown to be very fit. “I’ve been waiting for this victory for a long time. Last year I won the general classification of the Tour de Burgos but without raising my arms on a stage,” commented Sivakov who will join Tadej Pogacar in the UAE team from next season.
He won by leaving behind his breakaway companion, the Colombian Richard Carapaz, Olympic champion in Tokyo, shortly before the red flame. “I knew he was faster than me in the sprint so I went on the attack,” he said.
The Austrian Felix Grossschartner, who started in pursuit, finished third, ahead of his leader Tadej Pogacar who was returning to this race after the World Championships in Glasgow in August to prepare for the last major event of the year, the Tour of Lombardy. on October 7.
