Sivakov envisions a Kuss-like scenario while in Pogacar's shadow: "It creates opportunities"

The 27-year-old climber started his career with INEOS Grenadiers, but this year he chose an adventure with the Emirates team. As a domestique for the Slovenian, he feels the pressure. "I'm not going to say it's easy, because it's still tough to be ready for it," he told Eurosport. "But with a leader like him, it's easier to be a teammate. Every time, he’s the one who wins, and we do our job. It’s a great feeling to know that, when you start a race, you often end up with the victory."

"Besides that, he’s a normal guy. We do our job, have fun, laugh a lot. We have a good bond and a very good group." Did the Russian-born rider expect his leader to be this good? "Honestly, no! How easily he wins... He’s really reached a milestone, we’ve all seen that. In the Tour, I truly believed in it, but for him to win all those other races, and in the way he did, it was unbelievable. I think everyone is impressed."

The way Pogacar wins may be even more impressive than the quantity of his victories. "It’s often on instinct," Sivakov continues. "Like at the World Championships, for example. When he decides to go, he goes, and he’s not afraid. I think that’s what makes him a champion: he doesn’t calculate much. He knows what he’s capable of. He often surprises his opponents, just like at the World Championships. I think no one expected it when he went off 100 kilometers from the finish." During his victorious ride, the Slovenian briefly rode alongside his French teammate before going solo to the finish line.

For Sivakov, this year was mainly about domestique work (such as in the Tour of Lombardy), although he did win the final stage of the Giro d'Abruzzo himself. "I have opportunities in certain races, but it’s better to be a teammate of someone like Pogacar than to race against him. In the end, it creates opportunities. Take Sepp Kuss, for example. He won the Vuelta, but if he hadn’t been a teammate of his leaders, he wouldn’t have won. In a team at the highest level, it’s always difficult to find your place, but if you can create opportunities, it’s always easier."