On the final day of Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, the Dutch sprinter claimed the win after a perfect sprint.
Fabio Jakobsen benefited from a masterful lead-out of his Deceuninck – Quick-Step teammates and earned a well-deserved victory after two frustrating second places on the previous bunch sprints of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. For the 23-year-old, who kicked off his third pro season this week, it was victory number 15 since joining the Wolfpack and continued his love affair with Spain, where last season he clocked up his first ever Grand Tour stages.
“Today was a short but fast stage, and in the end the speed was so high, despite the technical final which included that roundabout and some tricky corners, that positioning was paramount. The team worked hard again today and put me in a perfect position and I’m so happy that I could win for them and myself”, said Fabio before taking to the podium to collect his trophy.
Having chased and reabsorbed the four men that formed Sunday’s breakaway with the likes of Tim Declercq and James Knox, Deceuninck – Quick-Step remained in charge of the bunch as the flamme rouge came in sight and made sure of bringing Fabio Jakobsen in a prime position. From there, the Dutch Champion – perfectly launched by Davide Ballerini – nudged past all his opponents in an incredible rush towards the line and topped countryman Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) and John Degenkolb (Lotto-Soudal), delivering the squad’s seventh victory of the season.
“We came to this race to win a stage and we are glad we have succeeded here in Valencia. The condition is good and so was the team, who worked hard for me on the three days that came down to a bunch sprint. I am very proud of these guys and very happy to be in this team. This win is an important confidence-boost and we want to continue like this”, concluded Fabio, whose next appointment will be the Volta ao Algarve (19-23 February).
Photo credit: ©David Ramos / Getty Images
