"We continue to believe in him 100%" - Tim Declercq defiantly backs Fabio Jakobsen after Scheldeprijs disappointment

A two-time former winner of Scheldeprijs, Fabio Jakobsen had expected better than a 35th placed finish Wednesday at the 2023 edition of the race. Having been visibly frustrated at the result, teammate Tim Declercq sympathizes his sprint leader.

"Understandable," Declercq said to HLN when questioned about Jakobsen's frustration at another disappointing result. "Again it hits against him. That's not nice. He then tells what happened, but otherwise remains a bit self-absorbed. Yet we know him as someone who is mentally strong and can transfer himself well here. He will turn the knob again, look ahead and continue. And so it should be. He certainly shouldn't start putting this into his head. Because we continue to believe in him 100%."

In a relatively poor opening to the 2023 campaign, Jakobsen has just two wins to his name and has suffered disappointment at various big races including, 9th at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, 5th at Classic Brugge-De Panne and a DNF at Gent Wevelgem. According to Soudal - Quick-Step his last anti climax is due to nothing other than bad luck.

"Bad luck two hundred meters from the finish meant the end of chances for Fabio," Soudal Quick-Step said in a statement although Declercq doesn't fully agree. “It must have been an easy day in the peloton, but we still had to drive seriously behind those escapees. But look: we were not served by luck. Fabio's role was certainly not over. I think he still had a good chance," he says. Fabio is and still remains one of the strongest sprinters in the world."