
Yesterday's victory in Laval Espace Mayenne was perfect for Jonathan Milan, because it came thanks to a team that worked all day for him. The Friulian knew that if success arrived, it would not be just his, but that of all his teammates, who piloted and launched him towards the finish line.
"In the last kilometer and a half, I pulled harder than I thought. But the victory came thanks to the guys who were with me, who truly supported me during the stage, and guided me during the last thousand meters in the perfect position to try to win this victory. So I'm really happy. I truly deserve it, or rather, we truly deserve it, and now we'll enjoy the victory and we'll try again tomorrow".
Being a sprinter is not easy, because to win, it's not enough to just go fast, but you must find the best position to be at the front and not get trapped in the group. The train for a sprinter is extremely important and Jonathan Milan can count on a group of guys with whom he has a unique trust relationship, because he knows that each of his men will work until the last drop of energy to make space in the group and launch him into the sprint. Milan knows speed well, having experienced it on the track with the blue quartet that brought him Olympic gold in 2021 and then bronze in 2024 and world championship gold in 2021. With the Friulian were Ganna, Lamon, and Consonni, and the latter is one of Milan's most trusted men in sprints.
Yesterday, it was Consonni first and then Stuyven who positioned the Buja native in the best position to sprint. But in the team, everyone is important, and there are also Theuns, Simmons, Skjelmose, and Nys.
"Theuns helped us position ourselves in the kilometers before Simone Consonni arrived 3 km from the finish. As I said, it was really difficult to stay together. Then Stuyven helped us reposition from 2 kilometers until the last meter, meter and a half. It's precisely this teamwork that I believe makes the real difference. I think when there are people around you who are truly pushing and can't wait, just like you, to reach victory, it makes things easier to achieve. Because of this, we were able to make the difference compared to other teams. Obviously, it doesn't always work, but sometimes it goes well like yesterday, so we're really happy about this. Now we've won, but we'll try again today and we'll do it every time we have the opportunity".
Today, the ninth stage of the yellow race will be run, a special stage for sprinters because it will arrive in Chateauroux, dubbed Cavendish City. Here in 2008, the British rider Cavendish won his first Tour de France stage, ahead of Spaniard Freire and German Zabel. Cavendish ended his career with the historic record of 35 victories in the yellow race, and for this reason, the finish avenue in Chateauroux is called "Avenue Cavendish". Today, Milan could win again, and if so, he would be the second rider, after Pogacar, to win two stages in this Tour de France. Winning, for the Friulian, also means gaining more points for the green jersey.