Jonathan Milan wasted no time and at his competitive debut in this 2026 he immediately hit the bullseye, winning the sprint in the opening stage of the AlUla Tour 2026. At the finish line of the AlUla Camel Cup Track, the starting and finishing venue of the first 158-kilometer stage, the twenty-five-year-old from Buja placed Milan Fretin (Cofidis) and Matteo Moschetti (Pinarello Q36.5) behind him, thus achieving his 26th professional victory thanks to his usual overwhelming power.

For him, coming off an extremely positive 2025, he naturally also took the first green jersey as the general classification leader, where, with the bonuses awarded at the end of the opening stage, he leads by 4 seconds over Fretin and 6" over Moschetti.

THE STAGE

After a few kilometers, Said Alrahbi and Mohammed Al-Wahibi (Oman), Ali Al Shaikhahmed (Saudi Arabia) and Muhammad Nur Aiman Bin Rosli (Terengganu Cycling Team) launched themselves into the breakaway, which, with the group's consent, quickly gained over three minutes.

Once this margin was reached, the teams behind started working and, setting a steady pace, the sprinters' teams gradually began to chip away at the gap until bringing the attackers back into sight. With the menacing shadow of the peloton now behind them, at 71 kilometers from the finish line, Al Shaikhahmed (briefly supported by Rosli) attempted a last desperate surge to postpone an already sealed fate, but he too was soon reabsorbed.

At -65 km from the finish, the group returned to being compact, and with this situation crystallized, the race proceeded for several kilometers. The only jolts came from the crashes of Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal Quick-Step) and Frits Biesterbos (Team Picnic PostNL) and that of Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Joris Delbove (TotalEnergies) at -44 km, after which, finding crosswinds, some teams (Cofidis and Lidl-Trek primarily) moved to the front, successfully creating echelons.

Eighteen riders remained at the front (including several top sprinters like Jonathan Milan, Fabio Jakobsen, Phil Bauhaus, Milan Fretin, Fernando Gaviria, and Matteo Moschetti) with 35 seconds over the main group that, almost fully regrouped, began a frenzied chase behind them. This sparked an exhausting tug of war that continued even after entering the Camel Cup Truck ring, where the two concluding laps of 8.8 kilometers began.

At the end of the first lap, the margin remained unchanged, and in the end, the leading group prevailed, traveling always around 50 km/h, maintaining a handful of seconds sufficient to contest the victory in a sprint where, after repelling the finisseur attack by Timo de Jong (Team Picnic PostNL), Milan promptly used Page's work for Fretin and, masterfully opening the gas at the right moment, raised his arms to the sky for the first time this year.

To be updated.

FINISH ORDER

1. Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl-Trek) - 3:36:32

2. Milan Fretin (BEL/Cofidis) - s.t.

3. Matteo Moschetti (ITA/Pinarello-Q36.5) - s.t.

4. Laurenz Rex (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) - s.t.

5. Lorrenzo Manzin (FRA/TotalEnergies) - s.t.

6. Hugo Page (FRA/Cofidis) - s.t.

7. Phil Bauhaus (GER/Bahrain-Victorious) - s.t.

8. Fernando Gaviria (COL/Caja Rural-RGA) - s.t.

9. Timo de Jong (OLA/Picnic-PostNL) a 0:02

10. Aivaras Mikutis (LIT/Tudor Pro Cycling) a 0:04

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl-Trek) - 3:36:22

2. Milan Fretin (BEL/Cofidis) 0:04

3. Matteo Moschetti (ITA/Pinarello-Q36.5) a 0:06

4. Laurenz Rex (BEL/Soudal-Quick Step) a 0:10

5. Lorrenzo Manzin (FRA/TotalEnergies) a 0:10

6. Hugo Page (FRA/Cofidis) a 0:10

7. Phil Bauhaus (GER/Bahrain-Victorious) a 0:10

8. Fernando Gaviria (COL/Caja Rural-RGA) a 0:10

9. Mark Donovan (GBR/Pinarello-Q36.5) a 0:11

10. Timo de Jong (OLA/Picnic-PostNL) a 0:12

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points Classification: Jonathan Milan (ITA/Lidl-Trek)

Young Rider Classification: Milan Fretin (BEL/Cofidis)