Jakobsen came into the third stage trailing Jens Reynders (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) in the overall rankings and usurped his rival with a fast finish at Kossuth Square.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider surged past the right-side barriers to finish just in front of Rudy Barbier (Israel-Premier Tech) and Sasha Weemaes (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) in a stage that stretched 154 kilometres to Nyiregyhaza.
It wasn’t until the final 200 metres that Jakobsen made his move, having used its one per cent gradient to his advantage before launching out from behind Bora-Hansgrohe.
“I followed Florian (Senechal),” Jakobsen said. “I lost him a bit but for sure we found each other again in the mess.
“I found him with 800 or 900 (metres) to go. He went early, maybe a bit too early but at least I am in position.
“And then I jumped on the wheels of Bora, they still had three, and I went behind their sprinter.
“Then I just launched with 200 metres to go from the slipstream. I could pass on the right side because there was a gap.
“Luckily, I could hold it to the finish line, even though the road was wet, I could feel the wheels slip a bit.
“It’s a team success and I am happy that I could finish it off.”
The rain-soaked stage began in Sarospatak, where the first breakaway materialised within 26 kilometres.
Aaron van Poucke (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) set the pace in a bid to strengthen his grip on the mountains classification, followed closely by Alessandro Fancellu (Eolo-Kometa), Ricardo Zurita (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli), Keegan Swirbul (Human Powered Health), and Emil Dima (Giotti Victoria-Savini Due).
Van Poucke’s retreat to the peloton allowed the aforementioned quartet to control the break for the next 40 kilometres, before race organisers halted proceedings due to a train with 76 kilometres remaining.
They led by as much as 1’30” at that point, though the gap was cut to 28 seconds by the time of the final intermediate sprint in Kemecse. Three kilometres later, however, they were all back together courtesy of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s powerful pursuit alongside Ineos Grenadiers and Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise.
Though subtle, the slight gradient in the finish would be classed as “uphill” in Jakobsen’s native Netherlands, and the 25-year-old hopes future stages will follow suit.
“I like it when it’s a little bit uphill, that suits me,” he added. “It’s always nice to win.
“Yesterday I showed I still had the legs, and today I confirmed. And tomorrow there is another opportunity.”
