"It's obvious we expected much more from this partnership": Picnic PostNL explain decision to terminate Fabio Jakobsen's contract
CyclingFriday, 07 August 2026 at 01:00
Fabio Jakobsen's disappointing spell with Team Picnic PostNL has officially come to an end. After just two and a half seasons together, the Dutch sprinter and the team agreed to terminate his contract early, with sports director Rudi Kemna admitting that neither side managed to achieve the success they had hoped for.
A partnership that never delivered
Jakobsen leaves Picnic PostNL after a largely frustrating period that produced just one victory, at the 2024 Tour of Türkiye, while injuries, poor form and repeated struggles prevented him from returning to his former level.
With his contract originally due to expire at the end of the 2026 season, both parties instead opted for an early separation. The Dutchman is now a free agent and has been strongly linked with an immediate move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
Before joining Picnic, his years with Quick-Step (2018-2023) brought five Vuelta a Espana stage victories, the European road title and a Tour de France stage win in 2022. That victory came less than two years after the devastating crash at the Tour of Poland which left him with severe facial injuries and placed his career in doubt.
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The move to Picnic was supposed to provide another reset after he left Soudal – Quick-Step. Instead, he managed only one victory for the team and gradually disappeared from contention in major bunch finishes.
Speaking about Jakobsen's difficult spell, sports director Rudi Kemna admitted the team's biggest concern was that the sprinter was no longer able to position himself for the finales.
“What stood out was that Fabio couldn't even stay with the peloton. So he wasn't there in the finals of races, where he should have been sprinting for victory,” Kemna told Daniel Benson.
Kemna acknowledged that the reasons behind those struggles remain difficult to pinpoint. “Why did that happen? That's a good question. I don't know whether it came down to one single factor.”
Fabio Jakobsen won the European Championships road race in 2022
Physical struggles became a mental battle
According to Kemna, Jakobsen's performances were affected by more than just physical condition. He explained that repeatedly losing contact with the bunch inevitably took a psychological toll.
“It starts with getting dropped, and then the mental side comes into play, when you begin asking yourself: ‘Why can't I do it?’”
While recognising Jakobsen's responsibility, Kemna also accepted that the team shared part of the blame. “It depended on him, but also on us.”
Despite extensive efforts from both rider and team, Kemna admitted the expected progress never materialised. “I'm not able to say exactly what went wrong physically. We did everything we could with our experience and knowledge. Fabio did the same, but the level of performance wasn't what we expected. I think we all share the responsibility for that.”
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Although Jakobsen still had several months remaining on his contract, both sides agreed there was little value in continuing until the end of the season.
Kemna confirmed the decision was reached together. “We had a three-year agreement and it's obvious we expected much more from this partnership.”
With no intention of offering a contract extension beyond 2026, Picnic PostNL approached the rider to discuss an earlier exit. “It was clear to us there wouldn't be a renewal at the end of 2026. So we spoke with him and agreed it made sense to end things early. We wanted it, and he wanted it too.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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