"It can still go any way": Fabio Jakobsen faces exciting week in AlUla Tour

Fabio Jakobsen hopes to find himself again this year, but expectations remain limited at his season debut in the AlUla Tour. In the first season after a major surgery on his femoral artery, it is still a wait-and-see situation for both the sprinter and his team, Picnic PostNL, to determine at what level Jakobsen can already race. Team director Roy Curvers provides some insight

"We had hoped to see the results of that surgery by the end of last year, but due to a collarbone fracture upon his return in the Renewi Tour, he never got the chance to race and find out where he really stands," Curvers explains. "That makes the AlUla Tour an extra exciting race for Fabio. That's a bit the case for every rider in February, but if it's been since August since you've raced properly, it's even more so."

What kind of Fabio do you see riding around on the eve of the race in Saudi Arabia?
"An eager Fabio. A rider who really wants to race and is curious about where he stands. He looks at it all very realistically, but he's also a winner, who when he wears a race number in the finale wants to see where he stands. It has taken long enough for Fabio. What we already know for sure at this point is that he has had a very good winter. Up until the training camp, he literally hasn’t had a sniffle. And in training, we notice that he’s hitting power numbers he couldn’t reach at all last year."

But training results of course tell nothing about his race form yet.
"We realize that as well. The fact that Fabio is doing well gives us hope. But we know that racing — especially sprinting with tired legs — is something different. We hope to get Fabio back into the sprints. That’s the first goal we set, and we want to achieve it sooner rather than later. On the one hand, we don’t want to rush anything, but we have to start somewhere. The flat stages, including the first one in the AlUla Tour, are ideal for figuring out where we stand."

Jakobsen was able to have a good winter – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos[/caption]

To what extent is that femoral artery still a topic in the team today?
"Based on the power numbers he’s putting out, we see that the surgery has had some effect. But from experience, we also know that things can still go either way. There are guys who have improved a bit, but then have slipped back again. Others have definitively returned to their old level, but there are also cases like Eli Iserbyt, for whom it meant the end of their career. Especially after several consecutive interventions. Fabio’s situation could go that way as well. But we do hope that things are going in the right direction for him."

What does a realistic expectation pattern for Fabio look like then?
"He might sprint right away. That’s what we hope for and what we will do our best to achieve. But we also realize: getting back into racing in itself is already a step in the right direction. That will bring him closer to sprinting again. It could be that he still needs a few races to be fully ready to sprint. But gaining race rhythm is in any case a step forward. And if he doesn’t have the level to sprint, he can still have a good week in another role."

How will that work concretely during the first stages of the AlUla Tour?
"We definitely want to keep Bjorn Koerdt up front because we are also keeping an eye on a good general classification with him. If Fabio is good enough, he will naturally be involved there. Then if a moment comes where Fabio wants to go for it, we will make sure he ends up in the sprint and helps set him up well. If that succeeds, we will know a bit more and can think realistically. After that, we will ask ourselves the important questions. Where do we stand? What do we need to fine-tune? Where do we want to go?"

How much time does Fabio get to find himself again?
"We see this as a process over several races; after the Scheldeprijs in April, he can take stock. After this race, we can look at what next steps to take. In any case, we still see him as a rider with potential. If he returns to his old level, he will be a leader of the team. But somewhere along the way, you need to find out if he’s going to get there."