Fabio Jakobsen on Europeans chances: "I hope to sprint for the win again"

Fabio Jakobsen is coming into the European championships as the leader of the Dutch team and one of the prime candidates for the title, which will be disputed in the streets of Munich in what is expected to be a bunch sprint.

“I rode and trained some criteriums, but this European Championship was circled in the agenda. There are some hills in the initial phase, but it is not a Tour de France. I have to be able to handle this on a cool day," Jakobsen said in a pre-race interview. “I hope to sprint for the win again. As competitors I think of Tim Merlier, Mads Pedersen and Arnaud Démare. Those are strong guys, who are also in good shape".

With only one win at the Tour and several weeks away from professional competition, there are little guarantees that he will have his best form, however unlike several other national teams, he will be the obvious choice and leader for the Netherlands. “We also have to keep an eye on the Italians, just like the Germans with Pascal Ackermann and Phil Bauhaus," he added, pointing to two teams with several cards. 

"There are enough guys who can sprint for the podium and there are also enough teams who want to ride for a sprint. It is the first time that I ride with Danny van Poppel. He can do good lead-outs and wants to specialize in them. This is a nice start and I hope he can help me today. But the rest of the squad is also strong and the morale is good," Jakobsen concluded.