Fabio Jakobsen will miss this year’s Tour de France. The sprinter has not recovered in time from surgery on the pelvic arteries, his team Team Picnic PostNL announced on Friday.
The 28-year-old Jakobsen underwent surgery in early April for a narrowing of the iliac artery in both legs. This injury is common among cyclists and causes less blood to flow to the leg muscles.
The Gelderlander had hoped to recover in time from the major surgery for the Tour de France, which starts on July 5 in Lille. Despite good rehabilitation, the biggest cycling race in the world comes too early for the sprinter, who won a Tour stage in 2022.
According to team doctor Camiel Aldershof, Jakobsen has been able to train outdoors occasionally after a necessary rest period. “That’s positive, but he’s not yet at the level required for a major three-week tour.”