“The yellow jersey is up for grabs" - Fabio Jakobsen sets sights on opening stage of 2025 Tour de France

Fabio Jakobsen has had a rough time of it over the last couple of years. Nevertheless, the Dutch sprint powerhouse remains defiantly confident in his own abilities. Despite having only one win in the last year and a half, Jakobsen has his sights set on the opening stage of the 2025 Tour de France.

As mentioned, 2024 was not the best year of Jakobsen's career. “It was not good enough,” the Dutchman admits honestly in conversation with Rouleur. “In terms of results and races, it was not very pleasurable. At top [level] sport, especially in the World Tour, once you are a little behind, it’s hard to catch up. It was definitely not my most fun year on the bike but I learned a lot.”

In his first season at Team Picnic PostNL, Jakobsen poses the argument that having had a season to get to know his new surroundings in 2024, this coming year can be the one that clicks. “I was new to the team, new teammates, and we have to find each other in the final, learn how to speak to each other, the commands. I think here and there we made a few mistakes. And if you only race at the highest level, you pay a price if you make those mistakes," he explains. “This team is also younger and less experienced and I think that’s a big difference. In bike racing, experience is important. Reading a final, getting used to each other, remaining calm, knowing what to do. And if you’re younger, you’re gonna make more mistakes and that’s normal because you’re young and you need to learn.”

Now having had some time injury free and able to use the winter to build up his level, Jakobsen now feels ready to make his mark. “We’re at the bottom end of the 18 teams and we need to score points,” he says. “That doesn’t change my responsibility within the team, which is winning bike races because that’s going to end up getting the team points. Of course (there's pressure), but it’s always 50% because it’s also the responsibility of the team to perform and I’m only one rider in the team. It’s a shared responsibility that we all know it has to be better.”

And where better than the Tour de France? “The yellow jersey is up for grabs in Lille,” he concludes, revealing goals of the 2025 Tour de France’s opening stage. “That's the big goal for the year, that first stage there.”