Fabio Jakobsen has joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike with immediate effect. The 29-year-old Dutch sprinter has signed a contract that will see him ride in the yellow and black colours through the end of the 2028 season. He will begin working within the team’s performance environment straight away.
Jakobsen has claimed multiple Grand Tour stage victories and became European Championship during his career. The Dutchman now sees Team Visma | Lease a Bike as the ideal environment to rebuild towards his best level and compete for victories once again.
“I’ve raced against the team for several years now, and seeing everything they’ve achieved throughout the years and how consistently they perform at the highest level, It’s a dream come true to wear these colours.”
The Dutchman is convinced that Team Visma | Lease a Bike offers the ideal environment to return to his best. “My goal is to get back to the level where I can compete at the highest level again and sprint for victories. As a sprinter, you never win on your own, so being part of a strong team is essential. I believe this is one of the best performance environments in the world”, he says. “I believe we can learn from each other and continue to improve together. There’s a lot of work ahead, but I’m confident this is the right environment to make progress.”
Mathieu Heijboer, Head of Performance, explains the reasoning behind this move: “We had been looking for a specialist for the pure flat sprints. The more we looked into Fabio’s situation, the more convinced we became that there is still a great deal of untapped potential. We believe we can create the right environment to help him unlock it. At the same time, having Fabio join us now allows us to start working with Fabio straight away instead of waiting until next season.”
For the coming months, the focus will be on a gradual return to competition. It will be centered around rebuilding his condition, introducing him to the team’s training philosophy, nutrition programme and way of working, and helping him settle into the team. The team wants to give him the time and structure he needs, with the ultimate goal of seeing him compete for sprint victories again.
