Sad message indeed from the King in the North. I find that his vaccine explanation is not that unlikely because he has looked like a rider who just could not go deep during this Tour, but realistically it could also just be the age-related decline finally catching up with him. He's had a professional road career for almost 14 years, and in the end, for each year passing, it gets tougher mentally and physically, especially as the opponents get better and better. I have no expectations for Tokyo, but it would be nice with a good showing at least.
Either way, I feel blessed to have witnessed him perform on such a high level over so many years. The fact that he has been in the world top 5 for two years in a row is something that does not get the adequate recognition in the Danish media, because so much attention is on the Grand Tours. Not that I think Jakob has had any problems with this lack of attention. He seems like a man who prefers to stay out of the mass media circus as much as possible.