‘The talks have been going on for quite a long time’ - Fabio Jakobsen provides update on Visma interest
The Dutch sprinter has left Picnic PostNL by mutual consent and could make an immediate switch to Visma | Lease a Bike. “They see it as a project.”
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Fabio Jakobsen has confirmed that he is in talks with Visma | Lease a Bike as he looks to revive a career that has stalled during two and a half difficult seasons at Picnic PostNL.
The Dutch WorldTeam announced on Monday that Jakobsen had left by mutual consent, allowing the 29 year old to join another squad immediately rather than wait until the start of the 2027 season.
“Unfortunately, it did not become what we had hoped for,” Jakobsen told AD about his spell with Picnic PostNL. “This gives them the opportunity to work towards the future with other riders, while I can convince another team that there is still something left in me.”
As first reported by WielerFlits, Visma | Lease a Bike have emerged as the favourites to offer Jakobsen a fresh start. EF Education-EasyPost and Alpecin-Premier Tech are also understood to have shown serious interest, but the Dutch sprinter has now confirmed that talks with Visma have been ongoing for some time.
“The rumour mill is running at full speed,” Jakobsen said. “Visma are a dream team and one of the best teams in the WorldTour. The talks have actually been going on for quite a long time, but nothing has been signed yet.”
An agreement was initially being discussed for 2027, but Jakobsen’s early departure from Picnic PostNL has created the possibility of completing the transfer during the current season. Reports suggest he could even appear in Visma colours before the end of August.
“The original idea was for 2027,” Jakobsen explained. “Now an opportunity has suddenly opened up to make the move earlier. Visma are one of the teams. They see it as a project. We just still have to reach an agreement, and that is what we are working on.”
Jakobsen has not won a race since taking the opening stage of the Tour of Türkiye in April 2024. His move to Picnic PostNL was supposed to provide a reset after leaving Soudal Quick-Step, but his results continued to decline.
He underwent surgery on both iliac arteries in 2025 after suffering from restricted blood flow, although Jakobsen cannot say with certainty how much the condition continues to affect his performance.
“Maybe it still plays a role,” he said. “It could also be a lack of training or simply that my level is not high enough. It is difficult to identify one clear reason. But it is clear that my time at Picnic PostNL is over.”
For the moment, Jakobsen is not setting a date for his return to competition. His priority is to rebuild his fitness and convince a new team that he can once again compete in the sprints.
“First I need to train and then find a place somewhere,” he said. “I do not know whether I will race again this year. There is a lot of work to be done. The past six months have not exactly been great. They have been disappointing, to be honest.”
“I can convince another team that there is still something left in me,” he said. “That is what I am working towards.”
At his best, Jakobsen was considered one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton. He won a stage of the Tour de France in 2022 and collected multiple victories at the Vuelta a España, completing a remarkable comeback from the devastating crash at the 2020 Tour of Poland.
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