"It feels a bit like a Tour de France" - Fabio Jakobsen looking to keep 'engine running' at Tour of Holland after disaster 2025
Cycling
A few years ago Fabio Jakobsen was at the very top of the cycling world, widely considered the best sprinter in the peloton with Soudal - Quick-Step, after completing a miraculous recovery over the crash he suffered at the Tour de Pologne in 2020. This year he's facing health issues that have taken him out of competition for a great part of the year, but is excited to finish it at home with the Tour of Holland and its cheerful crowds.
"It feels a bit like a Tour de France with so many people along the roadside shouting my name," Jakobsen said in words to Wielerflits, being one of the stars in the late-season race that has been reintroduced in the calendar this year.
"The Netherlands, the cycling nation, needs a race like this. I'm glad it's back. Everyone would rather ride here in their home country than in China," he says, regarding the Tour of Guangxi. Jakobsen started the season already after a troubled 2024, but an iliac artery issue saw him take a break and undergo a surgery back in March. He was ruled out of the major races throughout the summer and only returned to competition in late August at the Renewi Tour.
Disaster struck again, as he crashed and suffered a collarbone fracture. "It was an unfair break. A huge slab on top [he refers to road furniture, ed.), a lot of debris in the middle... I can start here, but not in top form. The goal is to rack up the miles. That's a shame, because my form was on the rise. Without a crash in the Renewi Tour, I could definitely have been fighting for the top spots again here."
Instead, he has spent the first road stage chasing down the breakaway, working towards the ambitions of his young teammate Tobias Lund Andresen who finished third on the day. "Now it's just helping the guys and keeping the engine running, then enjoying the winter. I'll go on a short vacation and then kind of see it through. For me, it's really great that I can do this work here. I train here half the time and can dream of the roads. I'd rather sprint than do this work, but for now, I'm trying to enjoy it."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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