Fabio Jakobsen reflects on a difficult first season with Team dsm-firmenich PostNL and sets sights on 2025 goals: "I feel responsible for the position I'm in"
Cycling
After a challenging debut season with Team DSM-Firmenich
PostNL, Fabio Jakobsen has reflected on his struggles and the work required to
return to winning ways in 2025. The Dutch sprinter endured a frustrating year,
failing to secure a stage victory at either the Giro d’Italia or the Tour de
France, with early withdrawals from both races.
In an interview with Daniel Benson, Jakobsen candidly
addressed the season and expressed his determination to improve, saying, "I
feel responsible for the position I'm in, yes. I'm the finisher, so I want to
be the guy who can finish the job. I've done that in the past, and I want to do
that again in the future. The work I have to do started in November, and I'll
keep working until March and then until the Tour de France. Because I think
that's the big goal again. In between, we have to make steps and improve."
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Jakobsen’s struggles were evident throughout the season as
he sought to adapt to new surroundings and the expectations that came with
joining the team. While he remained motivated, he admitted the year did not
meet his or the team’s expectations.
"I'm motivated. This year was a bit less, but with a new team you always
have to adapt and find your way. I think we expected more, but it wasn't like I
was far off. We just wanted to take it one step further and compete for victory
everywhere instead of just chasing results."
The transition to Team dsm-firmenich PostNL brought its own
challenges, including adjustments to training routines and equipment. Jakobsen
acknowledged that even minor issues can have a significant impact at the
sport's elite level.
"You have to get used to the new training schedule and the equipment. I
had some minor setbacks, and in top-level sport they can be quite big. But I
also think that the sport has progressed, and everyone has improved. I also
have to improve, especially here, where there is less experience and more young
guys. Things went a bit better at the end of the year, but as I said, we can
still make progress."
Looking back at specific moments in the season, Jakobsen
identified the UAE Tour as an early indicator of his struggles. While his
performances were “okay,” they were not enough to deliver wins. The Giro
d’Italia, however, proved to be a particularly challenging race where he failed
to contest the final sprints.
"This year we knew the start a bit. I was okay in the UAE Tour but not
good enough to win. I had a few races where I was reasonable but I still didn't
win. I was almost at the front but I couldn't get there, especially in the Giro
where I wasn't as good. I was always the first to go and I was never really in
the finals for the win. That's something I need to work on."
Despite these setbacks, Jakobsen highlighted a positive
shift in his form during the weeks leading up to the Tour de France. Focused
training and adjustments to his preparation helped him come closer to competing
at the front, providing a glimmer of hope for the future.
"Between the Giro and the Tour I made a step forward. I was very focused
for six weeks, changed my training approach and lost a bit of weight. I was
closer in the Tour, but I want to continue that trend next year."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
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