Pavel Sivakov, 24, born to Russian parents (both cyclists), raised in France from the age of 1, naturalized French at 18, has always raced for the Russian national team.
These days, he has seized the opportunity offered by the UCI to bi-national riders to change their sporting nationality.
Nationality obtained last week, when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out.
French at heart, the young Russian is now selectable for the France team, which seems to him to be the expression of logic, as he explained at length in the team this Saturday.
However, the young runner specifies that his change of sports passport is not directly linked to the international news of recent weeks.
"It's the result of a long process," he says.
It falls there, but it is only chance.
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Russian cyclist Pavel Sivakov takes French sporting nationality: the Inéos runner, who has had French nationality for five years, will now be able to run for the France team.
The war in #Ukraine has accelerated his demand for #UkraineRussianWar https://t.co/RLtc6UjFz5
– The Parisian (@le_Parisien) March 4, 2022
Or rather the occurrence of favorable circumstances.
Until now, the regulations of the international federation (UCI) stipulated that after a change of sporting nationality, the athlete had to wait a year before being called up by his new selection.
The war in Ukraine accelerated everything and on Thursday, the UCI announced that Russian or Belarusian riders with another nationality on February 28, 2022 could request a change of their sporting nationality, without delay and without being deprived of competition. for a year.
French since he was 18, Sivakov explains why he has always competed under the Russian banner.
" I did not have the choice.
If I had had him young, I would certainly have preferred to race with France.
At the time, I had to watch the French championship as a simple spectator, because as a Russian, I had no right to participate.
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The Tour 2020 as a "click"
His first Tour de France, disputed almost two years ago, opened his eyes.
As well as a discussion with Thomas Voeckler, the coach of the France team, who assured him that there would be a place for him with the Blues, if necessary.
"The 2020 Tour was the trigger," he said.
He passed on my training roads in the Pyrenees, the roads of my childhood
(Editor's note: he grew up in Haute-Garonne)
.
That's when I thought maybe I was more French than Russian.
I was so moved that day that I realized it might be time to change nationality.
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Sivakov says he will adapt very well to his new administrative situation: “My name and my first name will never make me forget my Russian origins.
But I grew up in France, not in Russia.
I don't feel like I'm turning my back on my parents' country, it's just that my personal story is in France.
It was a complicated decision but maybe current events facilitate or justify my choice because deep down I feel more European than Russian.
Especially today.”
This change is not without some apprehensions: “I'm a little afraid of the reaction of the Russians, that they see it as a betrayal, admits Sivakov.
But most of them don't even know that I never lived in Russia even though I represented it from the beginning of my career.
I had to wait until I was 18 to have French nationality because it is the country where I have always lived (since I was one year old).
It made so much more sense to me."
As for the conflict itself, the young man takes a measured position: “I know that my decision will be very scrutinized.
But I have never said anything other than my opposition to the war, I condemn everything that is happening in Ukraine.
It hurts my heart so much to see how far the madness of men can take us.
But I also don't want people to imagine that all Russians agree with that, we must avoid amalgams that could lead to anti-Russian racism.
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