Fabio Jakobsen says he was ‘afraid of not surviving’ after awful Tour of Poland crash 

The Dutch national champion has shared an update on his health

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Fabio Jakobsen has said he was ‘afraid of not surviving’ his awful crash at the Tour of Poland, which left him in intensive care with serious injuries.

The Dutch sprinter suffered a shocking fall when he was forced into a barrier at high-speed during stage one in Poland earlier this month, which left him with injuries to his face and a severe concussion. 

Deceuninck - Quick-Step sprinter Jakobsen has now thanked medical staff who saved his life at the roadside and has shared an update on his health. 

The 23-year-old said: “ It is now two weeks after my crash in Poland. The trauma doctors and nurses at the finish line in Katowice saved my life, for which I am extremely grateful to them.

“I spent a week in the intensive care unit at St Barbara hospital in Sosnowiec. Here they immediately operated on me for five hours and gave me the chance to live. I am very grateful to all employees of this hospital.

“It was a difficult, dark period for me in the ICU, where I was afraid of not surviving. Thanks in part to the organisation behind the Tour de Pologne and my team Deceuninck – Quick-Step, my family was able to be close to me, which gave me a lot of strength.”

Jakobsen was transferred to the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands and is now back at his home. 

He will now need time to let the wounds to his face heal and will have to rest due to his concussion.

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Jakobsen said he will need multiple operations to fix his facial injuries.

He said: “I want to let everyone know that I am very grateful that I am still alive. All the messages and words of support have given me tremendous strength. Step by step I can slowly look to the future, and I will fight to recover.”  

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.