Just a few hours after he had provided key final assistance for UAE teammate Tadej Pogačar's victorious solo flight at Il Lombardia, Pavel Sivakov was on a flight to China, looking to see what he could achieve on his own account at the Tour of Guangxi.
On Saturday - and as practised during the UAE recon of Il Lombardia on Wednesday - Sivakov acted as the last segment of the UAE 'booster rocket' that launched Pogačar into orbit on the crucial Colma di Sormano climb.
Then while the Slovenian powered on for a further 40 kilometres to claim his fourth consecutive record-equalling victory at Il Lombardia, far than doing the bike rider's equivalent of floating gently back to earth, Sivakov closed in on chasers Enric Mas (Movistar) and Lennert van Eetvelt (Lotto-Dstny). He then launched one attack on the final climb, which was reeled in but the 27-year-old still had enough in the tank to make a sprint in Como for a career-best sixth place in the Race of the Falling Leaves.
The Frenchman had already volunteered for Il Lombardia after taking sixth in the previous weekend's Coppa Bernocchi, he told reporters in the finish line mixed zone. He will now form part of a well-rounded UAE squad at the Tour of Guangxi, including 2017 race champion Tim Wellens, Felix Grosschartner, second overall in 2018, and Colombian sprinter Juan Sebastian Molano, a stage winner in China's premier WorldTour race last year.
To date, Sivakov's only previous participation in Guangxi consists of an anonymous 27th overall in 2018. But as he told reporters in Lombardia he's in excellent form. Beyond that, at a point where motivation and staying focussed is nine-tenths of cycling's law of success, Sivakov is certainly very keen to round off his first year at UAE in the best way possible.
"I've got one race left, I can head to China and see how I get on there, but I know I'm in really good shape.," he told reporters.
"I wasn't initially down for this race in Italy, but I did Bernocchi, and felt so good that I asked the team if I could do Lombardia as well as the original plan of Guangxi."
Prior to catching his long flight east, Sivakov said that by the time the season reaches October, "It's the mental aspect of competition that really matters a lot, and I'm really motivated."
"I can't be happier with the season already. And having seen what I could do in Lombardy, I can be even more sure of my condition."
"I'm at the best level since I turned pro," Sivakov said "and on top of that, Tadej has won."
Already part of Pogačar's Tour de France winning squad, Sivakov said "We did really well as a team, there was a very strong group ahead [the 22-rider early break before Pogačar attacked - Ed.], I had my role of launching Tadej to play, and we can be very satisfied with how it all worked out."
While by no means as difficult as Il Lombardia, Guangxi itself has a race route that should suit Sivakov this year.
Although the sprinters traditionally play a prominent role, this year's notably hillier route could well start to shape the GC as soon as the rolling finale on stage 2. Then just as in 2023, stage 5's final uphill climb to Nongla - the one summit finish of the race - will likely provide a definitive hierarchy to the overall. And after his excellent Il Lombardia, and first season in general, Sivakov will certainly be aiming to be up there in the mix.
