Fabio Jakobsen: I do feel responsible for the position I’m in
2024 wasn't great but the Dutch sprinter is determined to bounce back and rediscover his winning ways
Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) has always been a straight talker.
In every interview I’ve read or have been lucky enough to conduct with him, he’s worn his heart on his sleeve and given honest assessments of his form and stature. It’s one of the reasons he’s widely respected by the fans, media and his competitors.
At the Team dsm-firmenich PostNL training camp in Calpe, Spain, he was the first of eight riders down for an interview with us last Friday evening.
“Let me just message the group and tell the other riders where you’re sitting, okay?’ he proposed after a typically friendly greeting.
Twelve months ago, Jakobsen and I sat in the exact same hotel lobby after his move from Soudal Quick-Step to Team dsm-firmenich PostNL was confirmed. That day, he was still in his Soudal casuals, and we talked about how his mission at the end of each year was to package up all his unused team clothing and gift it to local charities. That interview was all about hitting the ground running in 2024.
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A year later, he’s in dsm attire, but the atmosphere is a little different. 2024 wasn’t a great year for the 28-year-old. He started the campaign with an illness, couldn’t catch any early season form and was off the pace at the Giro d’Italia before eventually pulling out due to injuries he sustained in a crash. He was better at the Tour de France, picking up a couple of top-tens, but he abandoned that race on stage 12 on the road to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, and his season never properly recovered.