A 1.2km-long course in sunny Tuscany awaits the Dutch Champion this Saturday.
Fabio Jakobsen will be one of the 16 riders taking part this weekend in the first virtual tournament between pro riders – “The Challenge of Stars”. Eight climbers and eight sprinters will face off in knock-out matches with the winner advancing to the next round, Fabio’s debut in the competition being scheduled for Saturday afternoon, when he’ll race against the World Champion, Mads Pedersen.
A pro since 2018, Fabio Jakobsen has captured 17 victories so far in the Deceuninck – Quick-Step jersey, including the last two editions of Scheldeprijs and a brace of stage wins at the Vuelta a España. After a promising start to the season in February, he was supposed to ride the Giro d’Italia in May, but with the race postponed for the month of October, his debut in the race will have to wait.
“It’s my first virtual race and I’m looking forward to it. The format is really appealing and I think the fans will like it too, especially as it gives them the chance to see us in action in what should be some thrilling head-to-head matches, which are more than welcome now considering it will be a couple of months before the cycling season resumes”, said the Dutch Champion, who will sport his jersey until the summer of 2021, now that this year’s Netherlands National Championships have been cancelled.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
