Jakobsen 'OK' despite broken bike in crash-filled Stage 4 finale

Fabio Jakobsen is expected to recover in time for the Pyrenees despite being one of several riders caught up in a crash-marred finale to Stage 4.

Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal Quick-Step) pictured after a crash on Stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France Source: Getty

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Jakobsen’s bike was left broken in three pieces after going down in the final kilometre on the Circuit de Nogaro speedway, where Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana Qazaqstan) and Jacopo Guarnieri (Lotto Dstny) sustained suspected collarbone fractures.

It marked the second successive stage in which Jakobsen could not properly contest the sprint, ultimately won by Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), though the Soudal Quick-Step rider was still able to finish the race albeit with abrasions on his right shoulder.

“Fabio has some wounds on his shoulder and back from the ‘nice’ asphalt,” team manager Patrick Lefevere said of the incident. “I suppose he won’t sleep very well tonight.

“There were a lot of crashes today on the circuit finish. The question is if it’s the fault of the circuit or of the riders.

“Some of the sprinters took some big risks. Unfortunately, sprinters always take risks and so it’s inevitable that there are crashes.”

With the crash coming at approximately 60 kilometres per hour, Lefevere was relieved the damage was not too severe and will not prevent the 26-year-old from continuing at the Tour.

That being said, he sought to understand exactly how the crash happened with his riders, having watched it back on replay with his staff and directeur sportif Tom Steels.

“Julian Alaphilippe wanted to bring him forward because the team was too far back,” Lefevere explained.

“But they couldn’t get out, which makes sense because no team wants to give way in a sprint.

“Fabio looked ahead to see if he could move up on his own and just then Mathieu van der Poel came with Jasper Philipsen on the right.

“He [van der Poel] touched his front wheel against Fabio’s rear wheel.”

“Fabio is OK but his bike is in three pieces, it was a hard crash,” Steels added.

“He lost a lot of skin but let’s hope he recovers and feels OK on the bike so he can suffer through the Pyrenees.”