"The team feels like family, so that would mean splitting half of my family" - Fabio Jakobsen shares his disappointment about merger
Cycling
Although Ilan Van Wilder won the Tre Valli Seresine in a spectacular way, the 23-year-old Belgian was mainly 'busy' in the flash interview with expressing his bile about the possible upcoming merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step. Van Wilder indicated that he spoke on behalf of several riders from Soudal Quick-Step. Fabio Jakobsen, who will leave The Wolfpack after this season, also appears not to be a fan of the merger.
"Many people see two top teams and that should become one great team. But I think there are at least 150 people in both organizations. If you merge two teams, you have to split them in half. Because you can't suddenly go out with twelve soigneurs or mechanics when you normally have six," says the Dutchman in front of the NOS camera.
Jakobsen will move from Soudal Quick-Step to DSM-firmenich on January 1, 2024, although he is certainly still concerned with the merger issues. "The team feels like family, so that would mean splitting half of my family. That is never pleasant, but life is not always pleasant, I know all about that. I'm not going to experience it, because I'm already gone anyway. But I do look at it with a bit of pain in my stomach," he expresses sympathy.
"The advantage of joining together is that it becomes a super strong team. The disadvantage is that half of them are on the street or have to find another team," Jakobsen concludes after Binche-Chimay-Binche, where he finished 49th. "I wonder if it's all worth it. Both teams have such a history and different legend in terms of record. I think it will be very special to put them together."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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We talked with @IlanWilder after the race to know his thoughts on the win he got after riding away from a group featuring Grand Tour and Monuments winners.
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