"There is no perfect solution" - Fabio Jakobsen on the delicate matter of creating flawless rulebook for completely safe sprints
Cycling
You won't find a better face for safer cycling than Fabio Jakobsen. The 28-year-old Dutchman was victim to one of the nastiest sprint crashes in 2020, yet he miraculously recovered and even though his career has been on a rollercoaster since then, he's still a force to be reckoned with.
“I think safety has improved and we haven’t seen an accident like mine happen again so that’s a good thing and let’s hope it stays that way, but I think organisations and the UCI should always keep looking at what we can improve to avoid extreme crashes like that, and among sprinters and riders we need to make sure that it’s safe," Jakobsen tells Rouleur.
"Sprints are getting more crowded, and with more crowds you have a much bigger chance at an accident. There are more teams focused on sprints, and more riders able to do a top-five. It’s just more busy." With Jasper Philipsen, Olav Kooij, Dylan Groenewegen, Sam Welsford or Fernando Gaviria at the start of the upcoming UAE Tour, things will once again get very hectic.
Finally, Jakobsen introduces the idea of reworking the rules of sprinting, rather than restricting riders' gear choice as was suggested by the likes of Wout van Aert previously. "If you’re going to make the gear smaller, then a lot of riders will start riding with shorter cranks so they can create more RPMs. Maybe we then want to create some rules about sprinting itself, about when you are allowed to deviate from the line without endangering others."
He reveals that discussions among current and former pros, as well as the cycling union CPA, have been ongoing. "The question is: are you allowed to choose a side? And if you are, is the rider behind allowed to follow? Because if the one behind is allowed to follow and endangers another, then whose fault is it? Is it the guy starting, or is it the guy chasing? The guy in front is going to say, 'I moved, but I didn’t endanger anyone', but the second guy is going to say, 'but I just followed the slipstream'. There is no perfect solution," he sighs.
Jakobsen points out that an ideal (according to him) rule would have probably relegated Mark Cavendish on his way to the record-breaking 35th stage victory, while Jakobsen’s long-time rival Jasper Philipsen, known for his grey zone moves, would've been penalized several times too.
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- Yes try riding same distances as themen as courses as hard. No point wanting same money if you are not putting the miles and same work in.paultryan200225-03-2025
- Come on, shorter stages, easier stages, less stages, easier one day races, shorter one day races, far lesser competition, slower speed, lack of bike handling skills and strategy … you can demand equality where it is due.. but that is rather not the case here. The men’s race was 20x more entertaining, so receiving 10x less is rather fair.
UltimateOpportunist25-03-2025 - this is officially the stupidest article i’ve ever read about cycling, or maybe anything else. i want those 2 minutes of my life back…OCexile25-03-2025
- I agree, this article is silly. Pogacar won that TdF because he was stronger than Roglic on the time trial not because he was unknown. Each rider has their own strengths and ride to those. Each of the classics and monuments have their own unique features that the riders must strategize.GB25-03-2025
- Yes, I think he still has a lot to say in road cycling. In the CX races he showed a very good gear but... the problem was essentially his NERVOUSNESS then he took bad decisions in finding the best strategies and paths. He needs confidence (calm down) and maybe a very good preparation gave him that.
maria2024202425-03-2025 - I don't believe so sadly, much as pulling another rider into that group I think Tadej and MVDP have raised the game so far they are essentially untouchable. The spoils of this season will be split between them, I believe Tadej will take RVV, LBL and Lombardia, MVDP MSR and Roubaix. I'm not even sure Remco will be at their level when he comes back. Tadej and MVDP are just a step above everyone elseslappers6625-03-2025
- Tadej and MVDP bring that panache back to cycling that we missed right through the Armstrong years, the Sky years and to an extent the couple of Visma tour wins. Whole team blocking a race, no attacking, no excitement till the leaders jumped away inslappers6625-03-2025
- Glad to know he's confident now, even though he didn't win; it's true, he never complains but in past interviews he often expressed his insecurity and bewilderment when he hadn't won the gold on the track or a time trial.maria2024202425-03-2025
- Would be so cool. Might not be possible regularly but a few, even Jungels showed glimpses of his past form after going through mental deserts.Jumpyjohn25-03-2025
- Yeah, might not feel like leaving his family or ending up like Senna or Schumacher. I’d have no problems with that, critics might have a tough time, finding a new target to focus on, maybe Remco? He’d be more tricky.Mistermaumau25-03-2025