“Fabio has had a successful operation and he is recovering
well so far. After the necessary rest period, he was able to start with short
indoor sessions at low intensity, and we have gradually built that up. In the
past period he was able to ride outside again occasionally, which is positive,
but not yet at the level required for a three-week Grand Tour,” explained team
doctor Camiel Aldershof.
Jakobsen himself admitted that the writing had been on the
wall, even if he was hoping for a late turnaround. “It's a shame, because you
dream of the Tour. I partly saw it coming, but today it was dealt a blow. I
think it's the most sensible choice with a view to the future, but it does hurt
a little bit.”
He also confirmed to NOS that the Vuelta is off the table.
“I dreamed of the Vuelta, but I was advised against it. After that, you still
have the Tour of the Netherlands and the Tour of Guangxi in China. I want to
compete for the win again in September or October, and in August I hope to ride
some competitive kilometers.”
Jakobsen remains optimistic, however, that his fortunes will
improve later in the year. “The worst is now behind us and everything is going
in a straight line upwards.”
The news is another blow for Picnic PostNL, who will also be
without John Degenkolb at the Tour. Degenkolb crashed heavily at the Tour of
Flanders in early April, breaking his collarbone, elbow, and wrist. According
to Aldershof, the German will undergo another operation to remove the fasteners
used in his initial recovery, ruling out a July return.
“A follow-up operation is planned to remove the fasteners
that speed up his recovery. As a result, he is not ready for a comeback in
early July. After that, we will slowly build it up with indoor training, and
only later with outdoor rides and training intensity,” Aldershof said.