The Grand Tour season came to a conclusion on Sunday, when our team celebrated its 62nd victory of the year and another memorable race.
For the fourth consecutive year, Deceuninck – Quick-Step came out of the Vuelta a España as the most successful team. After four stage wins in 2016, six in 2017 and four again last season, the Wolfpack ended up winning five this time, including a masterpiece which from now on should have a prominent place in cycling manuals whenever ripping the peloton apart in the crosswinds is taught.
The icing on the cake was put by Fabio Jakobsen in the Spanish capital, after a textbook lead-out of his teammates, who controlled the last kilometers with the likes of Eros Capecchi, Tim Declercq, Philippe Gilbert, Rémi Cavagna, Zdenek Stybar and Maximiliano Richeze, the latter having the Dutch Champion tucked on his wheel. With 150 meters remaining, the 23-year-old Grand Tour debutant was in a perfect slot and launched the sprint down the middle of the road, emerging as the fastest from the bunch and sealing the deal on the line, half a bike length ahead of Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe), who came runner-up.
By taking the victory, his seventh of a season which he kicked off in February, 23-year-old Jakobsen became the first Dutch rider since 1998 to win multiple road stages at a single edition of the Spanish Grand Tour, where he confirmed that he is destined for great things in the future.
“This is the biggest moment of my career so far. To win here, in the Dutch Champion jersey, is very special, but it wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates, to whom I am extremely grateful not just for today, but also for helping me make it through these tough three weeks. This win gives me a lot of happiness, I really can’t put it into words. I’m over the moon knowing that I will leave this brutal race with two victories in the bag!”
The third different Deceuninck – Quick-Step rider in as many years to win on the final day of La Vuelta, Jakobsen analysed stage 21 of the race, but also shared what the whole experience of completing a Grand Tour meant for him: “To be honest, I didn’t expect to arrive to Madrid. I suffered a lot in these three weeks, but kept going. The first victory brought a huge relief, because it took off the pressure just four days into the race, while today’s success was completely unexpected. The guys were again fantastic, controlling the break and bringing me to the front when it mattered. All I had to do was follow Max and launch my sprint at the right moment, and on the line, I even threw my bike just for good measure.”
But it wasn’t all about winning for Deceuninck – Quick-Step at the Vuelta a España, but also about showing grit, determination, character, resilience and self-sacrifice, all traits of the unique Wolfpack, who stuck together even when things weren’t playing into our favour and kept fighting. One of these countless examples came on Saturday, when the team shepherded James Knox – who was suffering from the effects of a crash on stage 19 – helping him make it to the finish. For the British youngster, the disappointment of dropping out of the top 10 overall was big, but at the end of the day, he can look back on what he achieved with pride and confidence to the future, which promises to hold many beautiful moments for him.
“I am very proud of the team, and everyone involved in this race can feel the same. The guys did a superb Vuelta, and taking five stage victories with three different riders – Rémi, Philippe and Fabio – doing a good GC with James, who everyone could see how much he has improved since joining us, and equally important, showing our Wolfpack spirit every single day, are our highlights from a race that once again confirmed that we have the same hunger for results and mentality which have transformed us over the years in one of the best squads in the history of cycling”, Deceuninck – Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere added.
Photo credit: ©Justin Setterfield/ Getty Images
