Milan becomes the first sprinter to take two stages in this edition of La Corsa Rosa.
With a stage win and two second-place finishes to his name already, Jonathan Milan doubled up on his win tally by claiming Stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia. Serendipitously, the second stage victory coincides with the launch of the brand-new SRAM RED AXS groupset, which Lidl-Trek have been putting to good use throughout this Giro d’Italia.
Although Milan was the first to cross the line, the road to winning the stage started hours before, when Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier got to work at the head of the peloton, riding mile after mile to ensure the stage finished in a sprint. Jonny benefitted from the full support and confidence of the Lidl-Trek team, who believe the Italian sprinter is the fastest in the race. The Lidl-Trek train brought the Ciclamino giant to the front, and safely out of trouble, as the tension and speed rose into the final part of the stage.
At four kilometers to go, the peloton had to negotiate a tricky right hand bend with road furniture, but it went by without a problem whilst Jonny maintained a good position. As rival trains jostled for position across the road, Milan became detached from his leadout, but he remained calm, hitching himself onto the rear wheel of Tim Merlier. Jonny was able to kick out of the slipstream, come alongside Merlier, and smoothly pass him in time to get his hands in the air for his second win of this Giro.
By winning the stage, Milan extends his lead in the Points Competition to 73 points.
Jonathan Milan “The team’s support made the difference. Second stage win was special”.
“Winning is not just about the 20 seconds of the sprint that make the victory in the end. It comes from all the work we’ve done before as a team. The way they have supported me and pushed me to sprint, that’s what makes me happy. I think today is just unbelievable what the guys did for me, like always they are believing in me and I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I’m just so happy to see this, and their happy faces. After the finish line I looked for them one by one to thank them because they were exceptional.
“It’s always tricky to sprint on straight roads and find the right moment to react. In the end I found myself on Merlier’s wheel, I think it was the perfect wheel. He started his sprint really strong but then I made mine and it went well. It was a super-fast sprint, especially because I have the fastest bike, along with the fast, new tires and groupset. It’s very special to win a second stage, this time with the Maglia Ciclamino. Last year after I won I was always up there in the sprints but making some mistakes. It’s important to learn from the mistakes I’ve made in the past and going further. We made it with the Team and I’m proud of this.”
“Race after race, I grew, I improved. I’ve learned to manage my efforts and to better withstand the efforts that the Giro imposes day after day. From last year to this year, then, there was a change of jersey that led me to have more riders to help me in the sprints. Strong, experienced riders, capable, like today, of putting me in the perfect conditions to win.”
Stage 11 Results
1 – Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) – 207 km in 4h23’18”, av speed 47.170 km/h
2 – Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) s.t.
3 – Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) s.t.
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1 – Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
2 – Daniel Felipe Martinez (Bora – Hansgrohe) at 2’40”
3 – Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) at 2’58”
