In addition to his fiancée, his parents, his sister and his teammates, his thanks also go to his osteopath. “He’s 85 years old, but I wouldn’t be here without him. A lot of muscles didn’t work anymore. He knew exactly what he was doing. I’ll be forever grateful to him,” says Jakobsen. The words of thanks aren’t just said because it’s just the way to go after such a time of suffering. Every syllable is taken from Jakobsen.
In three stages to return to life
Jakobsen rationally divided his return to life into three stages. First he had to become a normal person again. After all, he could hardly walk at first. Stage two was the way back to the racing bike, and the final part was the development into a top sprinter. “It’s come full circle for me. I’m now one of the best sprinters in the world,” says Jakobsen. He sounds incredibly proud, but without appearing boastful.
Jakobsen was not at the level he is currently riding at before his fall. He was still a young fellow then – wild, powerful, sometimes impetuous. One of his role models was Mark Cavendish. The Briton is his teammate and has to watch the Tour on TV this year because Jakobsen is better. A difficult reality for Cavendish, who was aiming to set a record this year with his 35th stage win.
As such, there was some pressure on Jakobsen to deliver results and justify his preference over one of the best sprinters in history. He delivered at the first opportunity. “Diamonds are formed under pressure. I can handle it well,” emphasizes Jakobsen. It’s the first Tour de France of his life, the first real stage.
He hasn’t set himself any big goals for the rest of the tour. He wants to take it day by day. In the sprints, Jakobsen meets Groenewegen again, who is also back on the tour for the first time since the fateful day in August 2020. Groenewegen was exposed to a lot of hostility at the time and was also banned for six months: “It wasn’t the best time, it was a tough time.”