After a crash that threatened not only his career but his life, Fabio Jacobsen hopes to return to professional racing and has set a goal of returning within a year.

Earlier this week, the Dutch rider posted a photo on social media of himself riding his bike outdoors for the first time since his crash at the Tour de Pollogne in August.

He is now traveling to Spain for a preseason training camp with his Detunink-Quick Step teammates.

In an interview with Belgian broadcaster Sporza, Deceuninck-Quickstep team doctor Ivan Van Mol suggested that the extent of the superficial damage done to Jacobsen after his coma was "exaggerated" and that the main concern has always been whether he could race on a bike again. He suggested that the extent of the superficial damage suffered by Jacobsen after his coma was "exaggerated" and that the main concern has always been whether he would be able to race a motorcycle again.

"As for Fabio, all the bones in his face were broken, his trachea was crushed, and some say he received 1,000 stitches. The damage was great, but there was a lot of exaggeration," Van Mol said.

"Aesthetics were not a primary concern. You know that many things are possible today. The question of whether one could practice one's profession again was taken more seriously."

"The question of whether one could practice one's profession again was taken more seriously.

Training camp in January should give a clearer indication as to whether and when the 24-year-old can return to the level of 18 wins in his first 2 1/2 years as a pro.

"The most difficult thing for him will be that he is at a huge physical disadvantage. We will mainly have to adjust his training load to what he still can do, not what he already wants. I think his ambition is to come back sooner than a year from now," van Mol said.

"The next step for Fabio is how he digests his training rides. He just got back from vacation. He had already done some cycling before that, but after an hour and a half or two hours he was feeling tired. On Wednesday he told me that physically he is obviously feeling better. Resetting his head on vacation also seemed to have done him good mentally."

In addition to the physical challenges, Van Mol admitted that there are also psychological hurdles after crashing with that speed and momentum. At team camps, Jacobsen runs mostly alone, sometimes in small groups.

"At camp, Fabio will soon find out how he feels about cycling in a group. If necessary, we will coach him. Just like any rider who has problems on the downhill."

"Steps are being taken in the right direction to get back into cycling and training, but the ultimate goal is to race again in competitive conditions."

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