No, Fabio Jakobsen won't ride a Grand Tour in 2025
Fabio Jakobsen raised hopes and more than a few eyebrows late last week when he said racing the 2025 Tour de France wasn't out of the question. The Dutch sprinter on Picnic-PostNL underwent surgery just two months ago to correct iliac artery endofibrosis, a narrowing of a major artery that can cause pain and loss of power. But he told friend and former pro Niki Terpstra on Terpstra's "Speed on Wheels" podcast that there was a "tiny chance" of a start in Lille on July 5. "It will be very tight; I can't say yes or no. But the chance that I won't go is much greater than the chance that I will," he said.
Terpstra advised against it, and the former Paris-Roubaix winner's caution appears to be shared, as Picnic announced Friday that Jakobsen would not race the Tour and is not in line for the Vuelta a España either. "Fabio had a successful operation and good rehabilitation so far," said team doctor Camiel Aldershof, but the lengthy post-surgery rest period – which is vital for ensuring a rider doesn't stress the repaired vessel and risk a rupture – simply rules out a major race any time soon. "Recently, he’s been able to return to training outside a bit which is great, but still at a lower intensity than is required to build up the base again for a three-week Grand Tour," Aldershof said. John Degenkolb will also miss the Tour, as he's still recovering from major injuries in a crash at the Tour of Flanders and will require a further surgery to remove some metal hardware. [Picnic-PostNL)
