"These speeds are insane": Fabio Jakobsen concerned about rider safety after a 100+kph crash at AlUla Tour
Cycling
The 2026 AlUla Tour came to a conclusion on Saturday with a complete shake-up of overall classification where Jan Christen came on top of the chaos. The entire race could be described as chaotic. Besides the ever-present crosswinds and echelons, stage 3 posed riders with the most intimidating descent on calendar.
After a fiasco of last year's Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah debut on the route, organizers changed their approach. Rather than riding a circuit up the steep slopes (up to 20%) of this road, the organizers prepared a stage where riders would dive down from the plateau, and circle back to climb the more shallow opposite side of the climb (4.9 km at 5.8%).
An odd decision that already drew concerns over rider safety since the route has been published. But the AlUla Tour organizers have chosen to proceed with the design, leaving no room for doubts. And on top of that, a bonus sprint was placed just before the extremely steep descent.
And so came the race day on Thursday. With breakaway caught, peloton dove down towards the final ascent of the day. Rider speeds flied to three digits, but everything seemed okay. Until all of a sudden three riders were sliding towards a rock garden. Laurenz Rex managed to get up and finish the stage, before being taken to hospital where X-ray revealed three fractured vertebraes. For Fabian Grellier and Davide Stella, the race ended there.
By a miracle, neither of the two cyclists suffered any fractures, however their injuries were still severe. Grellier, who wound up on the rocks few meters next to the asphalt, suffered a severe tear that required emergency surgery.
Stella, who was caught on the race cameras with his entire backside severly bruised, also required urgent medical treatment.
UAE's medical director Adriano Rotunno said about Stella's health via press release: "Davide fortunately escaped serious injury given the severity of the crash but suffered heavy abrasions to his back and gluteal areas. These required surgical cleaning, for which he remains in hospital under observation. He will aim to fly back to Europe in the coming days accompanied by a team doctor."
Fabio Jakobsen had his share of experience with horror crashes in 2020
We're not equipped for this
Sprinter Fabio Jakobsen approached the ramp with more respect, fully aware of the danger it represented. "I was braking in pulses, I think you have to do that in these steep and super fast descents, although I had the impression that some riders do not know that," he told Het Nieuwsblad.
"My computer already showed 106 kilometres per hour. The guys in front of me were going even faster. I am especially happy and grateful that nobody slammed into the rock face on the side, because it could have been a lot worse."
Jakobsen knows the consequences of sprint chaos better than most, after his 2020 crash in the Tour of Poland left him in a coma. That experience shapes how he approaches moments like this. "In a descent like that I avoid all risks. These speeds are insane," he said. "Honestly I think our bikes and thin tyres are not made for this."
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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