12/03/2022

Patrick Lefevere: Fabio Jakobsen "will have to come up with the arguments" to ride Milano-Sanremo

Milano-Sanremo is just around the corner and within Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team there is a lot of expected debate on who goes to Milano-Sanremo as the leading named.

Patrick Lefevere has said in his weekly Het Nieuwsblad column: "In the coming days we will discuss the Fabio Jakobsen issue within the team. Do we take him to Milan-San Remo or not? There are team leaders who think it's a good idea, but I have my doubts, to say the least."

"It's nothing to do with Fabio's talent or condition – I think that is high. But I've also seen this week how UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma race. You don't have to have studied to know how the race will be next Saturday – they will accelerate from the Capo Berta. And if they really fire on the Cipressa I don't think Fabio would survive," he added.

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Both Fabio Jakobsen and Mark Cavendish have been in action this week, at Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico respectively, but both have shown serious difficulties when the race goes uphill. Those are not good signals for a race that, despite being the flattest monument, requires a strong climbing level to be able to contest. "Milan-San Remo has the reputation of being a sprint classic, but in practise that's less and less true," Lefevere pointed out.

"I think with seven riders at the start you don't have space for that. We are not thick with leaders, but Julian Alaphilippe and Davide Ballerini are in good enough shape to let us at least put the best possible helpers around them," he said, perhaps hinting to the likely leaders at the opening monument in the season.

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"Fabio himself is eager to ride, which is to his credit and which I appreciate. But my team management will have to come up with the arguments in favour," he added.

Milano-Sanremo will take place in the 19th of March and with the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic eyeing the race and how aggressive high-level racing has been this year, it is quite possible that this year's edition is more selective than normal, favouring the sprinters less than the normal.