Fabio Jakobsen halts cycling career: flow limitation in the iliac artery is cause for concern

Fabio Jakobsen cannot think about cycling for some time. The Dutch sprinter for Picnic PostNL had been struggling with his form for a year and a half. In recent months, he has not been able to perform at all, and now the cause is known: he is suffering from flow limitation in the iliac artery and is forced to take a break. After surgery, how long he will be out of action remains to be seen, but the 28-year-old cyclist remains optimistic.

Picnic PostNL announced the news in a press release. "Unfortunately after conducting recent tests, we have discovered that Fabio has flow limitation of the iliac arteries. As the diagnosis is very clear and currently limiting him on the bike, he will undergo surgery to attempt and fix the issue," says team doctor Camiel Aldershof. 'Thankfully, he has a more favourable prognosis to return due to the type of limitation; however, this can take some time to come back from."

This means that Jakobsen's spring is finished, and it could also take much longer before he returns on his bike. "The surgery means that Fabio will be off the bike for around six weeks initially, with no other strenuous physical activity allowed. In the meantime, we will monitor his progress and from there, when he is ready, we will gradually have him return to training and slowly build up intensity again."

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"My legs just weren't working like they should"

After a few places of honor in the UAE Tour, things went from bad to worse for the Hulk. A DNF in Paris-Nice, the Bredene-Koksijde Classic and the Classic Brugge-De Panne were a sign that something was seriously wrong. "I trained well this winter and came into the season with some confidence. We picked up some top ten results at the UAE Tour and Paris-Nice, but when it came to those key moments and high-intensity sprint efforts, I suffered; my legs simply weren't working as they should."

After his unsuccessful debut season, 2025 had to be a new start for the former European champion. "We have to go back to the drawing board, and maybe I need to become a bit more of a cyclist and a bit less of a sprinter," he said during last year's failed Giro d'Italia. And so, in the winter, a new Fabio was forged. 'His winter has been much more stable than last year, and you can see that in his physical condition', said Timo Roosen, Jakobsen's teammate and lead-out. 'He rides well in the bunch, even uphill. It looks easier now; we ride and train harder. That will have an effect."

Until now, his Dutch team's record only included a stage in the Tour of Turkey. The diagnosis is a new setback, but he is not giving up. "It's mentally, of course, a setback, but now that we have found the cause of the issue, I am hopeful that the surgery can then solve it. Sometimes you need to take one step back to be able to make two forward, and I hope that's what I'm going to do now," Jakobsen concludes.

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