Fabio Jakobsen doesn't let failed Giro get in his head and aims for Tour de France: "He quickly turned the switch himself"

After a failed Giro d'Italia, Fabio Jakobsen wants to bounce back in the upcoming Tour de France. The Team dsm-firmenich PostNL rider didn't come even close to a stage success in Italy - something that was even painful to watch at times. But it seems like the 27-year-old is in better mood again, fully devoting himself to training in Spain.

On the one opportunity to sprint, the Dutch sprinter fell hard, forcing him to abandon the race ahead of stage 12. "The fall was ugly and he also caught a cold," sports director Roy Curvers explains to WielerFlits. "He did not start on Thursday and then he didn't cycle again until Sunday. From Monday he started quietly again. A week after he gave up the Giro, he left for Spain to resume good training again."

But there was not only the fall. Jakobsen also did not seem to be at his best level in the previous stages. While he was able to take his first victory of the season in the Tour of Turkey, this proved more difficult at the highest level. "I think we have to conclude that he mainly lacked toughness. Having to let go at such points in the race might be a bit early. I believe that every sprinter there has more or less problems, but there is a difference between whether you can stay in the peloton or drop away and hang behind the group. Of course, on the screen it seems like a world of difference."

Jakobsen doesn't let the failure get under his skin, shifting his focus towards Tour de France instead. "I know Fabio is doing well now. The Giro may not have been what we expected, but it did reveal what we need to improve on. I must say that Fabio was immediately very passionate about it. He quickly turned the switch himself, with the mentality: we cannot change anything about the Giro, but we will immediately work hard for the Tour de France. He gains confidence from that. Fabio is currently training in Spain to optimally prepare himself. Then we have to put the finishing touches on the Baloise Belgium Tour."