Gert Jakobs

About Gert Jakobs

Gert Jakobs demonstrates in his presentations, with practical, engaging, and humorous examples from top sports, the importance of having good and motivated employees in an organization. How do you ensure the balance in the team is right? How do you keep the key employees motivated? Without key employees, managers cannot thrive. Additionally, he talks about dealing with setbacks and perseverance. How do you come back stronger after a difficult period.

Gert Jakobs dedicated many years to top sports. At the beginning of his sports career, he combined cycling with skating. In 1982 and 1983, he participated in both the world championships for skating and cycling. At the age of 21, in 1985, Gert Jakobs definitively chose cycling. Gert Jakobs was a super domestique. For years, he led the sprint for Jean-Paul van Poppel and guided Erik Breukink to a third place in the Tour de France in 1990. Gert completely sacrificed himself for the team leaders and always rode in service of the team. He was beloved by team managers because he always adhered to his tasks and responsibilities. Gert Jakobs started in the Tour de France five times, completing it four times.

In 1993, Gert Jakobs cycled for Festina. He had a verbal agreement for 1994, but a change in management left Gert without a team at the last moment. Forced by circumstances, he had to end his career prematurely. He fell into a ‘black hole’ and struggled to build a career in society. After a few years, he managed to climb out of the valley in his own unique way. Nowadays, he is successful in the business world. Additionally, during the 2011 Tour de France, he was a regular analyst on the popular program Tour du Jour on RTL7 and in 2012 on RTL4.

Grueling work. Endurance. Miles of relentless pedaling at the front of a long, colorful line of riders. ‘Grinding your guts out,’ as Gert Jakobs calls it himself. He spent his talents doing the dirty work for big names like Hennie Kuiper, Joop Zoetemelk, Jean-Paul van Poppel, and Erik Breukink. The Master Domestique himself looks back on it with warm feelings. He was simply living his dream.

Gert Jakobs shows with engaging and humorous examples from top sports the importance of having good and motivated employees in an organization.