Cyclist Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step) suffered a sudden fall at the finish line of the first stage of the 77th Tour of Poland after being crushed by his compatriot Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma), disqualified for his gesture. A few meters before the finish, Dylan Groenewegen moved to the right and hampered Fabio Jakobsen with his elbow, who flew into the barriers, in a sprint disputed at full speed on a downward false flat. The vital prognosis of Fabio Jakobsen is engaged, announced the race doctor.
“The condition is very serious. His life is directly threatened. Huge blood loss and serious injuries (…) He lost a lot of blood, but we managed to intubate him, his airways were free. gave him oxygen, all the necessary medicines. The heart was working well. He has no injuries to his rib cage, it is mainly the skull and the brain, "Barbara Jerschina told Polish television Polsat Sport.
"Unacceptable" behavior
Dylan Groenewegen for his part faces a sanction from the disciplinary commission of the International Cycling Union (UCI). The international federation "strongly condemned the dangerous behavior" of Groenewegen. After crossing the line first, he was then disqualified by the jury of commissioners.
The UCI judged Groenewegen's behavior "unacceptable" and declared to seize the disciplinary commission "to ask for sanctions commensurate with the gravity of the facts". Jumbo-Visma, the Groenewegen team, offered their "sincere apologies" in a tweet for their runner's gesture.
Rising sprint star
At 23, Jakobsen had the profile of a rising star in the sprint. He already has no less than 18 victories, three of which were acquired at the start of the year in front of references in the discipline. In front of Groenewegen in the fifth stage of the Tour of Valencia, ahead of the Italian Elia Viviani in the first stage of the Tour of Algarve.
But it was last year, during the Vuelta, that Jakobsen really made a name for himself. For his first grand tour, he won two stages, the last of which was in Madrid, each time ahead of the Irishman Sam Bennett. Having turned professional in 2018 in Patrick Lefevere's Quick-Step team, Jakobsen donned the Dutch champion's tricolor jersey last year in June. He won the sprint before taking part for the first time in the Tour of Poland, in which he took third place in the opening stage.