Tour of Guangxi: Rookie Jakobsen grabs stage 3 victory
The 22-year-old Quick-Step Floors rider earned his team's 72nd win of the 2018 season at the Chinese stage race.
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Fabio Jakobsen snagged the 72nd season victory for Quick-Step Floors at the Tour of Guangxi on Thursday.
Jakobsen won stage 3 of the six-day race in a sprint thanks to a well-timed move off his competitors’ wheels at the end of the 125-kilometer route. Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Max Walscheid (Team Sunweb) placed second and third.
“It was again tense today, but it’s always like that in a mass sprint. The team put their faith in me and I trusted them,” Jakobsen said. “On the previous stages I made some mistakes, as I was a bit too nervous and eager, but today I remained calm and followed [Davide] Martinelli, who did a great job. I am very happy with this victory, my second in the WorldTour, and I want to thank my teammates for all they’ve done for me.”
The win put Jakobsen into the overall lead, as he now holds a 4-second advantage over Ackermann and a 6-second edge over Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo).
This is the 22-year-old Jakobsen’s first year in the WorldTour, and he has made it count with six victories — four stage wins and triumphs at Scheldeprijs and Nokere Koerse.
“It’s been a truly fantastic season, one that will be remembered years from now,” he said. “Everybody worked really hard since last winter, we were always focused and committed on giving everything and making the most out of every opportunity regardless of the race. This massive haul of wins comes as confirmation of the amazing job we’ve done as a team, as a family.”
The Tour of Guangxi resumes Friday with stage 4, a 152km route from Nanning to Nongla.
Results will be available once stage has completed.
