Equality in cycling sprints is measured in tubular. Well, Fabio Jakobsen won in the Puig by a third of tubular? Maybe less. Neither the Dutch nor Sam Bennett , winner the day before, knew which of the two had won. And when that happens, it means that equality has been maximum, because the sprinter always has the ability to know if he has won or not, even if it is for very little. It happened that this time it was impossible, in an end that years ago, with less technology, it would have been resolved with two winners 'ex aequo'.

"I knew I had won when I saw the team people celebrating," the young 22-year-old runner explained later. It was the 'photo finish' that confirmed his triumph, because not even the goal camera, which is placed on the perpendicular of the road, offered a conclusive image. Bennett proved to be faster than Jakobsen, but penalized the placement. In the last kilometer, he took a roundabout on the long side and lost the good position he had in the header zone. The Irishman went back, but stayed within tenths of a second to repeat the victory achieved the previous day in Alicante.

Jakobsen is the new pearl of Patrick Lefevere's inexhaustible quarry for sprinters. Everyone ends up leaving, but there is always a new one capable of winning the one who leaves the structure. Why? To a large extent because what remains is the method of launching the arrivals, year after year with the best turn of the world squad, although the auctioneers are changing. Two years ago Marcel Kittel left, who has just announced his retirement due to lack of motivation, and Fernando Gaviria appeared. The Colombian left for the UAE last winter, before an offer that the Deceuninck could not even approach, and Elia Viviani, already victorious the previous season, took over. Now the Italian will go to Cofidis and Jakobsen ensures the relay. The funny thing is that maybe Sam Bennett is also his partner next year.

With 22 years, Jakobsen is a great promise but also a reality. In addition to winning at El Puig in which he is being premiered in a great lap, in just a year and a half as a professional he has already achieved several prestigious victories. Among them, they highlight their two triumphs in the classic Scheldeprijs and in the Dutch championship this year, in addition to World Tour victories in the tours to Turkey, Benelux, California and Guangxi. Now he has days ahead to taste his victory at El Puig, as it will be difficult for him to have another chance until he arrives in Oviedo, on Saturday next week.

Now comes the ground of the aspiring general. The ascension to the Astrophysical Observatory of Javalambre this Wednesday will serve to open your mouth. It is an unprecedented ascent of 11 kilometers, with three very soft first and another eight always above 8% except for a small rest in the middle of the climb. Steven Kruijswijk , third in the Tour and luxury lieutenant of Roglic in this Tour will not participate in it. The Dutchman dragged discomfort in the knee since the fall in the time trial by teams of the first day and finally decided to get off the bike on the stage of this Tuesday.

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