La Vuelta cycling: 'Everyone got it wrong!' - Blythe on 'super messy' sprint as Fabio Jakobsen 'nails it'

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 21/08/2021 at 20:47 GMT

"Brilliant!" Blythe said of Jakobsen's triumph on The Breakaway. "Watching that finish, it was very, very messy. No team at all got it right or got the lead out together. There was not one team that dominated it. QuickStep were there at the end, but it was super, super messy and I just think everyone got it wrong! It's over in a click of the fingers if you get it a bit wrong."

Fabio Jakobsen "nailed it" in winning Stage 8 of La Vuelta on Saturday, but it was a "super, super messy" sprint which most teams got wrong, according to Eurosport's Adam Blythe.

Jakobsen, who also triumphed on Stage 4 in Molina de Aragón, delivered when it really mattered after what was a flat 173.7km route from Santa Pola, while Primoz Roglic retained his eight-second lead in the general classification before another mountainous stage.

The 24-year-old Dutchman opened his sprint at the perfect time after being guided masterfully through the maelstrom by his Deceuninck-QuickStep team-mates, and Blythe hailed his efforts while bemoaning the errors from other teams.

Giro d'Italia

'All I'm thinking about now is the Giro' - Thomas focused on first Grand Tour of the season

16/04/2024 at 07:39

"Brilliant!" Blythe said of Jakobsen's triumph on The Breakaway, Eurosport's post-stage show.

"Watching that finish, it was very, very messy. No team at all got it right or got the lead out together. There was not one team that dominated it. All the teams lost their lead-out trains.

QuickStep were there at the end, but it was super, super messy and I just think everyone got it wrong! It's over in a click of the fingers if you get it a bit wrong.

"Everyone went a bit too early with the lead outs, not the sprinters. Because obviously he [Jakobsen] nailed it! He's got that little bit extra, and no one could touch him."

'Predictable Ineos have great opportunity to attack' - Blythe

• Soporific stage sizzles into life as Jakobsen seizes second victory at seaside
• 'I love that!' - Amateur rider races pros who wave at him during Vuelta
• 'Cavendish shouldn't overestimate his market value in euphoria of Tour' - Lefevere

Cycling legend Sean Kelly added: "It's difficult. It seems to be getting more and more difficult to get a sprint train organised that can deliver in those final kilometres.

"We saw it at the Tour, but here at this Vuelta it has been becoming more and more difficult. A team leads it out but then gets crowded out.

If you have that nose to know where to be, you just follow it and take the victory - and Jakobsen did that just perfectly today.

"A lot of teams got it wrong, they were all wanting to do it, but it's very difficult. Big flushes of riders - there's nothing you can do."

The points garnered from his win today were enough for Jakobsen to unseat Jasper Philipsen from his position as leader of the green jersey competition. Jakobsen will now get the honour of pulling on the maillot verde as the race returns once again to the mountains.

'It's very special to be here again!' - Jakobsen delighted with Stage 8 win

- - -

You can watch La Vuelta live and ad-free on the Eurosport app and Eurosport.co.uk. Download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now. You can also watch the most comprehensive live & ad-free racing on GCN+. Go deeper and get interactive with live polls & quizzes, plus rider profiles, race updates, results & more – plus stream exclusive cycling documentaries.

Cycling

Zeeman to step down as Team Visma Lease-a-Bike sporting director

03/04/2024 at 16:43

Itzulia Basque Country

Roglic 'disappears' as he takes wrong turn on time trial – still wins easily!

00:00:52

|

01/04/2024 at 16:19

Paris - Nice

‘Evenepoel has the beating of him!’ - Belgian holds off Roglic attack to take six bonus points

00:00:46

|

06/03/2024 at 16:25