Magnier eager to return, but what about problem cases De Lie and Jakobsen? Lotto and Picnic-PostNL respond

Paul Magnier will return to racing this Sunday! The 20-year-old Frenchman crashed on the final day of Tirreno-Adriatico, forcing him to cancel his debut at Milan-San Remo. But for Gent-Wevelgem, he's back—recovered and ready. However, bigger question marks remain around two other riders heading into Sunday and the following classics.

Magnier suffered a heavy crash in the last stage of Tirreno, but remarkably escaped without any fractures. After more than a week of recovery, he's ready to resume his spring classics campaign. “The first four weeks of the season went well for me, despite the recent setback,” said Magnier in a press release from Soudal-Quick Step. He won a stage at the Étoile de Bessèges and finished second in the Figueira Champions Classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and Le Samyn.

Following his Tirreno crash, the team opted for a short break, allowing him to fully recover. “I’m glad I had some time at home and I’m really looking forward to Gent-Wevelgem, a prestigious classic where I hope to achieve a strong result. After that, it’s on to Dwars door Vlaanderen, where I also hope to be in the mix. Most importantly, I’m entering these races without pressure—just doing my best and helping the team.”

Read more below the photo.

Paul Magnier after his crash in the Tirreno

De Lie rides Gent-Wevelgem after medical checks

Arnaud De Lie will also be present this Sunday at Gent-Wevelgem. The young Belgian from Lotto escaped serious injury in Wednesday’s pile-ups at Brugge-De Panne, but he already has plenty on his plate. De Lie began the year strong with a win at Étoile de Bessèges, but dropped out of the Tour of the Algarve due to allergies. Since then, his form has dipped. He struggled in the opening weekend and was dropped on the cobbles during Nokere Koerse.

Still, Lotto continues to select him—also for Gent-Wevelgem. “I’m not in my best shape, but together with the team we’re trying to figure it out,” De Lie told Sporza ahead of Brugge-De Panne. Team sports director Kurt Van de Wouwer added, “We’re still trying to understand what’s going on. His previous blood tests and training sessions were all good. It’s too early to say anything about the Tour of Flanders or Roubaix. We’ll wait for further tests, and if the result in Gent-Wevelgem is better, we can build from there.”

Read more below the photo.

Jakobsen steps out sick at Brugge-De Panne

Another problem case: Fabio Jakobsen of Picnic-PostNL. The Dutch sprinter joined the team in 2024 as their marquee fast man but only managed one win last year. This season, he has yet to open his account, and on Wednesday he didn’t make it to the finish of Brugge-De Panne due to illness. Should we be worried? “We’re looking into all sorts of things to rule out and investigate potential issues, but it’s too early to go public with anything,” team director Roy Curvers told NOS.

At Picnic-PostNL, they say they’re working hard to get Jakobsen back on track—but are there signs of improvement? “I’ve seen some progress in training, but training isn’t racing,” Curvers said. “We remain hopeful and positive, and I’m doing my best day by day.” Still, with a mild fever and a sore throat, Jakobsen wasn’t able to finish the race. Now it’s a matter of recovery and hoping for better days ahead.

Read also

No E3 and Gent–Wevelgem, but Roubaix: UAE explains how a teasing Pogacar had already chosen to debut during the UAE Tour

Lance Armstrong watched in amazement at Mathieu van der Poel: "Did you see his face at that moment?"

UAE and Pogacar are not only focusing on Vingegaard for the Tour: "Maybe it’s just Remco this year"

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get every week the latest news about CYCLING in your inbox!

Subscribe