One of the major absentees from significant race finishes this season is Fabio Jakobsen. The Dutch rider from Team Picnic PostNL has never managed to be a protagonist, and when trying to push, he was unable to pedal with the same force as before.

Tests conducted with the team's medical staff revealed that Jakobsen has a flow limitation in the iliac artery in both legs. The Team Picnic PostNL doctor Camiel Aldershof explained: "Unfortunately, after conducting recent tests, we discovered that Fabio has a limitation in iliac artery flow. Since the diagnosis is very clear and currently limits him on the bike, he will undergo surgery to attempt to resolve the problem. The operation will require Fabio to stop for approximately six weeks, avoiding strenuous physical activities. In the meantime, we will monitor his progress and then, when he is ready, we will gradually help him return to training and slowly increase intensity."

Jakobsen himself added: "I trained well this winter and started the season with some confidence. We achieved some top-ten results at the UAE Tour and Paris-Nice, but when it came to high-intensity sprint efforts, I suffered; my legs simply weren't working as they should. Obviously, this is a significant setback, but now that we've found the cause of the problem, I hope the surgery can resolve it. Sometimes you need to take a step back to take two steps forward, and I hope this is one of those cases."

Jakobsen will be operated on Wednesday, April 2nd, and obviously, as the doctor explained, his race schedule for the second half of 2025 remains dependent on how his recovery proceeds.