The 25-year-old Dutchman took another win in what is an outstanding season for him.
Fabio Jakobsen dashed to a spectacular victory in Munich, where the seventh edition of the European Championships takes place this year, cementing his status as the fastest sprinter in the world at the end of a 207.9km race that came down to a fast and furious bunch gallop.
Winner of eleven races this season, including Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and stages at Paris-Nice, Tour of Belgium and Tour de France, Fabio came at the start Sunday morning as the main favourite and lived up to the billing, becoming the second Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider in four years to win the road race at the event.
After the two-man breakaway was easily brought back on the penultimate lap and a late attack was reeled in less than three kilometers from the finish, Fabio was ideally positioned by his teammates as they entered the finishing straight and produced a perfect effort that gave absolutely no chance to Arnaud Démare (France) and Tim Merlier (Belgium), who rounded out the podium.
“I am incredibly happy! To be European Champion is something that I only dreamed about, but at the start I was confident in my chances of turning this dream into reality, as I came in good shape and had a strong team. We don’t race too much together during the year, but everybody in the Netherlands team did an amazing job and put me in a perfect position going into the last kilometer, a great effort for which I am grateful to all the guys.”
“I felt good today. I survived on the first climb, then struggled a bit on the steep gradients of the second one, but got through it while the team made sure of keeping the breakaway’s advantage under control the entire time. In the final 200 meters, I just did my sprint and I am delighted with this victory, the gold medal and with having this nice jersey on my shoulders for the next twelve months”, an elated Fabio said after making it a dozen victories this season.
Photo credit: ©Jan Hetfleisch / Getty Images