The green jersey identifies the points classification leader and, after the yellow jersey of the general classification, it is undoubtedly the most sought-after jersey in the group. Since its introduction in 1953, only two Italians have managed to arrive in Paris as points classification leaders: Franco Bitossi in 1968 and Alessandro Petacchi in 2010. This year, Italy again has real possibilities of arriving in Paris dressed in green thanks to Jonathan Milan, who according to experts and bookmakers is one of the great favorites to win the points classification.

The Friulian riding for Lidl-Trek is a colossus at 1.94 m, weighing 90 kg, wearing size 46 shoes, and is an authentic powerhouse when sprinting towards the finish line. Milan was the best sprinter at the Giro d'Italia in 2023 and 2024, and at 24 years old, he will make his Tour de France debut today: despite his inexperience, the green jersey is certainly within his reach.

The Friulian's engine is enormous and in some aspects reminds of Marcel Kittel. Milan and Kittel have the same weight and, above all, the same Maximum Power (PMax), almost 2,000 watts, but the Italian has a much higher VO2Max. These data were declared by Mattias Reck, Kittel's former coach and Milan's athletic trainer at Lidl-Trek.

Currently, the guy from Tolmezzo is the individual pursuit world champion and world record holder with 3:59.153, but his palmares also includes the Olympic gold won with the Italian quartet. He is a formidable sprinter, capable of limiting effort when following his train, formed by Stuyven, Theuns, and Consonni. All his power is unleashed in just a few moments. From a physiological perspective, he is the rider who can generate the most power in the last minute of the race and not by chance ranked third in the kilometer at the Elite European Track Championships at the end of 2020.

For his Tour de France debut, Lidl-Trek has impeccably followed every kilometer pedaled by Milan, analyzing his physique and equipment. Therefore, it was decided to insert larger gears, to make his strength even more efficient in sprints, delaying the moment of decline.

The technical choice was to switch from a 55-tooth to a 56-tooth chainring. So 56x10 is the Sram ratio he currently uses for high-speed flat sprints. Finally, he rides with 175 mm cranks.

Everything is calculated and measured in sprinters' work, and there are many studies capable of improving pedaling. For example, until about ten years ago, the rule was that a sprinter would lose speed after the twentieth pedal stroke. Today, given the evolution of gear ratios and equipment, the data is slightly higher. But in this case too, Milan is breaking all statistics, having won the first stage of the UAE Tour last February after a 37-pedal sprint.

The Friulian is the sprinter who could put experienced sprinters like Philipsen, Merlier, and Groenewegen in difficulty and beat classics men like Van Aert, Van der Poel, and Girmay, if there should be a bunch sprint with them.

Weighing about 90 kg, Milan needs to produce an enormous amount of power to go fast and to do this he needs 160 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Physically, he has very little body fat and therefore during the three-week race, he will lose little weight, which will allow him to handle climbs well, although we will never see him climbing at Van Aert's speeds. But this is not important, because the Friulian will aim for victories in flat stages, with possibilities of winning the yellow jersey, in addition to the green one, already on the first day. He can also do well on the third stage to Dunkerque, as well as on Saturday, July 12th in Laval Espace Mayenne on the eighth stage or the day after in Chateauroux.

There will be winning opportunities in Toulouse on July 16th and then in Carcassonne if the breakaway doesn't arrive first. Valence on July 23rd will also be a great opportunity before climbing in altitude, because then the last chance for victory will be in Paris, for the royal sprint on the Champs Elysees.