Jakobsen posts his strongest WorldTour result in years: 'It feels like a small victory'

The third stage was a bit tougher than the two preceding ones. But the hills in the final stretch weren’t enough to shake off the sprinters. Jakobsen also kept up well during the tough kilometers. In the sprint, he followed the wheel of Frits Biesterbos (Picnic PostNL), but he couldn’t break away. He finished in fourth place.

That’s reason to celebrate. After all, it was his best result of the year, and the last time he finished higher in a WorldTour race was back in 2023, when he won a stage at the Tirreno-Adriatico. “This fourth-place finish almost feels like a small victory when you consider where Fabio is coming from,” team manager Gaëtan Pons explains on the Visma | Lease a Bike website.

De Hulk van Heukelum ’s upward trajectory is impressive. “In his last four races with the team, he’s posted his four best results of the season. He’s not yet back to his former physical level, but we’re clearly seeing progress. He’s eager to compete again, is enjoying racing, and exudes a lot of confidence. That’s an important step toward next season.”

The fact that Jakobsen was able to sprint surprised Pons. “Initially, we hadn’t identified this stage as an opportunity for Fabio, because the course might have been too tough. Still, he made it through the climbs thanks to the support of his teammates. In the final stretch, the guys did an excellent job. Fabio himself said it had been a long time since he’d had such a good lead-out. Owen (Doull, ed.) in particular did a fantastic job in the final meters.”

On Friday, Visma | Lease a Bike will focus on the general classification contenders, but on Saturday, the team plans to go for the sprint again with Jakobsen. “We don’t expect Fabio to be in the mix at the front tomorrow, but with Tijmen (Graat, ed.) and Louis (Barré), we have other cards to play. The fifth stage may offer new opportunities for Fabio.”