'As cyclists, we do abnormal things' - Jakobsen enters make-or-break season

Fabio Jakobsen has made a remarkable comeback before in his career, of course, but that doesn’t make it any easier. The Dutchman’s first two seasons at Picnic-PostNL have been blighted by injury, but he will hope there is light at the end of the tunnel after undergoing surgery for iliac artery endofibrosis in both legs last year.

“No excuses, but the past two years in this team have been, to put it in bad words, shit: no results, one win. It’s not why I came here,” Jakobsen told reporters at the Picnic-PostNL media day in Calpe on Friday.

“But then at least there was a diagnosis for why I couldn't sprint for wins anymore in the final. Relief is the wrong word, but at least you understand why and how, and you understand that it had less to do with training and with nutrition and with sleep and with all the other things.”

Jakobsen missed almost five months of last season after undergoing surgery in early April, and he suffered a further setback in August when he broke his collarbone in a crash at the Renewi Tour. The 29-year-old refused to put his injuries down purely to bad luck, suggesting that the wear and tear of pro cycling had contributed to his iliac artery issue.

“As you get older, you realise that nothing is permanent and top sport can be unhealthy or sometimes detrimental for your health,” he said. “But luckily nowadays we can at least fix that in the medical world. The condition that I had was partly bad luck but also partly self-caused, I would say, because we’re doing abnormal things, of course, with five, six or seven-hour training rides and Grand Tours. 

“It’s like we’re bodybuilders, but bodybuilders of the cardiovascular system. So yeah, every now and then there’s a rider that’s going to push the limits and go further. I wouldn’t call it bad luck, it’s just unlucky.”

Jakobsen will start his 2026 season at the AlUla Tour in late January before lining up at the UAE Tour and sprint-friendly Classics such as Le Samyn, Nokere Koerse and Scheldeprijs. A decision on riding a Grand Tour will be taken later in the Spring. “It’s too soon to say,” said Jakobsen, whose lone victory since joining the team came at the Tour of Turkey in 2024. 

Last season, Jakobsen had just three top 10 finishes to his name, and he knows that it is premature to talk about getting back to winning races. The first step will be competing in sprints once again.

“I think if you come from a year like that, then to speak only about winning is maybe even a step too high,” he admitted. “I can feel in training that it’s in the legs, and now it’s about showing that final sprint in the final of races.”

Jakobsen’s contract with Picnic-PostNL expires at the end of 2026. Although he believes he can race on for several more years, Jakobsen insisted that he has not yet given any thought to negotiating his next contract.

“I’m not even thinking about that yet, I’m focusing on the here and now,” he said. “I’m not talking to other teams yet because no one knows – and I also don't know – how it’s going to go. I don’t think it’s my last year on the bike. But first we need to start racing and get a good half a year in to see how it goes. Then this team and other teams will know what my position is within cycling and if it’s worth even keeping me or giving me a contract.

“I am positive that I can perform again, but it’ll be a wait and see. I can say now that I’m confident and I’m going to win again, but no one really knows.”