Making the transition from the world-conquering outlook of a top amateur to the more restricted horizons of a neo-professional is never straightforward, and Pavel Sivakovīs task was complicated still further when his debut with Team Sky was delayed by injury at the beginning of this season. The Russian - born in Italy and raised in France - stepped up to WorldTour level this year with high expectations after landing the Ronde de līIsard, Giro della Valle dīAosta and under-23 Giro dīItalia in his final year with the now defunct BMC development squad, but a knee injury ruined his winter and kept him out of racing until the Settimana Coppi e Bartali in March. `At the start, it was a bit difficult to get used to not being up there like when I was an under 23, but you quickly accept that itīs normal. I accepted that I wasnīt there to win straightaway but to learn for a few years before getting to the highest level,` Sivakov told Cyclingnews at the Tour of Guangxi.ADVERTISEMENT `The year was a bit mitigated for me because I was injured over the winter and didnīt start training again until the end of January. I only started racing in March, but it went quite well after that. I managed to get some good results.` Sivakovīs stand-out result came at the Tour de Suisse in June, where he rode to 14th place overall and finished the race on an emphatic note with sixth place in the concluding time trial. He proceeded to play a key supporting role as Michal Kwiatkowski claimed overall victory at the Tour de Pologne in August, a display that secured him a berth on the Team Sky squad for the Vuelta a Espaņa later that month. The build-up to Sivakovīs Grand Tour debut would, however, mirror his preparation for his maiden professional season. A seemingly banal cut to his ankle - sustained when he rode over a glass bottle at the Tour de Pologne - became a concern when the wound got infected. `I didnīt think it was anything serious, but the day after the Tour de Pologne, it swel ...
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