"I had to really overcome that fear" - Fabio Jakobsen opens up on mental struggles following horror crash that nearly ended his career
Cycling
With two wins to his name already this season, Fabio Jakobsen has plenty to smile about. A few years ago however, things looked much bleaker for the Dutch sprinter following a horror crash that threatened to bring his career to a premature end, an incident that left more than just physical scars.
Almost three years since the life changing crash at the Tour de Pologne, Jakobson sat down with Eurosport to discuss the challenges he has faced on his way back to being considered one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton. “I just took it one day at a time and one race at a time, one training at a time," he says. "If you would have seen me on August 6, 2020, then thought where I would be now, it would be impossible to imagine."
The physical injuries sustained by Jakobsen were numerous and so serious he had to placed in an induced coma. “I was missing 10 teeth, some bone in the facial area," the Soudal - Quick-Step man reveals. “I lost 10kg of body. So you could say fat, muscle and some teeth. So first the goal was to just become a normal man again."
Arguably more challenging for Jakobsen to overcome was the mental trauma he suffered after the incident which saw sprint rival Dylan Groenewegen given a 9 month suspension. "Because with what happened to me I can easily be scared and think, 'it's not for me anymore, I almost lost my life'," he explains. "I had to really overcome that fear to re-enter the final and be there, where the danger can happen, and where you can be scared or fearful."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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