Jakobsen wins Vuelta sprint to reclaim green jersey

Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen won stage 8 of the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday for his second mass sprint triumph on the race just a year after a near fatal crash on the Tour of Poland.

Overall leader Primoz Roglic retained the red jersey after the largely flat 173km run from resort town Santa Ponta as Jakobsen of Deceuninck Quick-Step outpaced Alberto Dainese and Jasper Philipsen at the line.

Astana forced a sudden acceleration at the head of the peloton with 30km briefly spltting the bunch in three, before the entire pack regathered and raced shoulder to shoulder all the way to a nervy high speed finish.

On a broad dual-carriageway Jakobsen was expertly delivered to the front of a frantic throng of sprinters and then proved more powerful than his great rival Philipsen of Alpecin.

Both men have two stage wins but Jakosen on 180 points has retaken the green sprint points jersey from Philipsen on 164.

Last August 5 the now 24-year-old Jakobsen had a brush with death in a terrifying crash in a mass sprint on the Tour of Poland. He needed five-hours of surgery after breaking his jaw and losing all his teeth.

© 2021 AFP