Ineos cyclist Pavel Sivakov switches national allegiance from Russia to France after Ukraine invasion

Ineos Grenadiers’ Russian rider Pavel Sivakov has had a request to switch nationality approved and will now race under the French flag.

Sivakov, who was born in Italy to Russian parents and moved to France when he was just one, said he had wanted to switch nationality “for some time” but due to the war in Ukraine he wanted to “fast track” his application. The 24 year-old was outspoken in his condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on social media last week.

“It’s been a difficult few days seeing what’s currently happening,” Sivakov wrote on Twitter. “First of all I just want to say that I’m totally against the war and can’t get around what’s going on in Ukraine.”

The Ineos rider, who finished ninth at the Giro d’Italia in 2019 and has long been touted as a future grand tour contender, added: “I also want people to understand that most of the Russians only want peace and never asked for all of this to happen.

Telegraph Sport understands Sivakov would have liked to have switched nationality before now, but was dissuaded from doing so as it might have taken him out of the last Olympic cycle and he was keen to ride in Tokyo.

The UCI, who ruled last week that individual Russian and Belarusian riders could continue to compete for their trade teams but under a neutral flag, have now expedited his request.

“On Wednesday 2nd March 2022, the UCI officially granted Pavel Sivakov change of nationality from Russian to French,” read a statement. “Both cycling federations have been notified and this now qualifies Pavel to race under the French flag at national, World Championship and Olympic events.”

In the same statement Sivakov said: “I was born in Italy and moved to France when I was one year old. France is where I grew up and was educated and where I fell in love with riding my bike which led me to racing. It feels like my home.

“I have wanted to become a French national for some time and had made the request to the UCI, but given what is happening in the Ukraine at the moment, I wanted to fast track this.

“I want to thank the UCI and the team at INEOS Grenadiers for supporting me with this process and helping make this a reality. To now have the opportunity to race as a French national in international events makes me incredibly happy. It would be a dream to race in Paris at the 2024 Olympics for France and this is something that the team have said they would fully support.

“As I have previously said, I am totally against this war and all my thoughts are with the Ukrainian people. Like most people around the world right now, I hope for peace and a swift end to the suffering happening in the Ukraine.”