Giro d’Italia: DSM juggle sprint leadership as Lund Andresen takes over from Jakobsen again

In the build-up to the Giro d’Italia, Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL apparently had a clear leader for the spring finishes, Fabio Jakobsen, and a clear lead-out man, Tobias Lund Andresen. However, the waters were muddied shortly before the race, as the pair shared four victories at the Tour of Turkey, with the scoreline reading 3-1 in Lund Andresen’s favour.

Ahead of the Giro, Jakobsen indicated that he would have to hand over the reins in the event that he was ridden out of contention or energy on any climbs, and that’s exactly what came to pass on stage 3 of the race on Monday.

As race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) lit up an unexpected attack on a small kicker inside the final 10km, Jakobsen found himself in trouble, and was then dropped a few hundred metres shy of the crest. He would roll home nearly three minutes after all of his rivals had contested the sprint.

“My legs exploded,” was Jakobsen’s short response at the finish.

Lund Andresen, meanwhile, placed a creditable fifth among a stacked field of fast men, beating the likes of Olav Kooij, Juan Sebastián Molano, and Caleb Ewan.

“Fifth is a nice result in my first Grand Tour but I felt like it could have been even more today,” said the rider who only turned professional last year.

That was because he was forced to sprint from all of 300 metres out. He’d followed a rider from Tudor Pro Cycling, who was flying past Lidl-Trek’s lead-out on the right-hand side of the road, but that rider suddenly pulled out. You could sense the momentary hesitation, but Lund Andersen quickly decided to commit, putting up a valiant effort to hold on for fifth as his legs faded and the rest of the sprinters sped through.

“If he waited at that moment then he would have got swamped, so he had to go for it,” argued the team’s director, Matt Winston. “To get fifth place in his first ever sprint in a Grand Tour is a really respectable result and something we can build on.”

Read more: Giro d'Italia stage 3: Tim Merlier takes chaotic win after Pogačar and Thomas go on the attack

Question marks over hierarchy

The Tour of Turkey had already created a small cloud of doubt over the sprinting hierarchy at DSM, but stage 3 of the Giro turned it into an even more pressing matter.

In one corner, you have Jakobsen, who has won nearly 50 races and was not so long ago considered the very best sprinter in the world. However, since leaving Soudal Quick-Step to join DSM, he has struggled for any sense of form, his win on the opening day in Turkey his first and only success for his new team so far.

Lund Andresen, meanwhile, is the up-and-comer who has no pressure on him and at this moment in time is surpassing all expectations.

Speaking to GCN ahead of the stage, Winston clarified the leadership structure.

“Fabio is the sprinter – our lead sprinter. But obviously we have some finales that are harder, where Fabio maybe loses contact. We hope not, we hope that he can be there, but we also have a clear plan for what happens when that happens. We have clear commands that we’ll give as and when Fabio feels like he’s on the limit, in trouble, and might not be there in the sprint, and Tobias will take up the sprint.”

That is indeed what happened in Fossano, according to both sprinters and the team.

Sprinting has often been said to require more than a dash of ego, so it could be perceived as a tricky situation for Jakobsen to find himself having to hand over the reins to a less heralded man, especially when he must be so eager to truly kick-start his DSM career. However, Winston said the Dutchman has been an exemplary team player.

“In Turkey, on two of the days, Fabio was still there in the peloton but gave the call to Tobias to go for the sprint. That’s the sign of a true champion.

“He’s someone who knows his body in a really good way, and someone who can also empower his teammates. It’s about the team for him, not the individual. Fair play to Fabio when he’s able to give that command and take a step back from going for personal glory and putting the team first.”

Jakobsen had stated this whole scenario was on the table ahead of the Giro, and he gave a succinct response after the finish in Fossano: “Of course I prefer to sprint myself. But if it's not for me, it's for him.”

A few days ago, Jakobsen had pointed out that he is some 10 kilograms lighter than Lund Andresen, and could therefore be expected to fall away on some of the finishes. The worrying thing, though, is that all of the other top-level sprinters survived the late climb on Monday and contested the sprint.

There was no response on the topic of general form in Fossano, but Jakbosen had already indicated that it was down to teething problems with the change of teams.

“I think this is quite a big step if you have been in the same organisation for six years. I would say I have changed all material apart from Shimano cleats and pedals, so I have been adjusting to that in the winter which went okay, not great,” he said ahead of the race.

“There were a few bumps along the way, then there is the new style and new philosophy, and different build-up to different goals this year. It was always going to be the Giro and Tour and I just lacked the level to be competitive in the beginning of the year.”

With another sprint opportunity lying just around the corner in Aqui Terme on stage 4, it won’t take long to learn more about Jakobsen’s form and the DSM hierarchy.

For everything you need to know about the 2024 Giro d'Italia, from the history of the race to this year's route and start list, be sure to check out our dedicated race hub.