Fabio Jakobsen gambled on going up the barriers on the final stage at Vuelta a San Juan and got a mobile phone planted in his face just before the finish line. The Soudal-QuickStep rider wobbled on the bike as the phone, and his glasses, turned into projectiles on impact, though luckily the European champion managed to stay upright.
A spectator was leaning into the road and holding his phone right out to film the fast-approaching riders in the bunch sprint. And as Jakobsen tried to squeeze between the barriers on his right and stage winner Sam Welsford (Team DSM) on his left, his face ploughed into the spectator's outstretched arm holding the phone.
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Jakobsen's cause wasn't exactly helped by the uneven line of barriers on the finishing straight, which was packed deep with a large crowd of fans all eager to see the final sprint. After the finish Jakobsen looked shook and had some blood, and what appeared to be the start of some swelling and bruising, on the right side of his face.
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However, after a finish line crash in 2020 at Tour de Pologne almost cost him his life, the incident in San Juan thankfully did not end in a high speed crash. Jakobsen wobbled a little on impact and it also looked like his front wheel briefly came off the ground, though somehow he managed to stay upright.
Having taken victory on stage 3 at Vuelta a San Juan, he had to be content with 2nd place today behind Welsford. Jakobsen rode an usual sprint today as he did not follow his lead-out man, Michael Mørkøv, when he shot forward inside the last few hundred metres.
Jakobsen was right behind Mørkøv when he sprinted to the left at the front of the bunch, beginning what looked like a perfect lead-out. The Dutch rider opted not to follow his team mate, perhaps in the belief he had kicked too early.
Instead, Jakobsen stayed where he was and during the sprint he went from the left side of the front of the peloton to the right, before ending up against the barriers.
Still, the finish line incident was another advertisement for the new safety barriers rolled out in Europe in 2021. They lean away from the riders and increase the distance between the passing cyclists and any fan trying to lean into the road for a better view of the action.
