“Hopefully it continues like this all season” – Jonathan Milan makes it two wins in two days to open 2026 at the AlUla Tour
Cycling
Jonathan Milan could hardly have asked for a stronger start to his 2026 season. After backing up his Stage 1 success with another commanding sprint victory on Stage 2 of the AlUla Tour, the Italian left little doubt about both his form and Lidl-Trek’s early-season authority.
The second stage was far from straightforward. Crosswinds repeatedly threatened to split the race apart, briefly putting sprinters under pressure before the peloton eventually regrouped ahead of the finale. When the moment came, however, Milan was delivered to the line in an ideal position and finished the job with confidence.
“I think it was our dream scenario,” Milan said in his post-race interview afterwards. “I’m really happy with how we did things, with the way we controlled the race and how we handled the echelons. In the end, it was a perfect lead-out. I just had to sprint.”
That apparent simplicity masked a demanding day in the wind. The peloton fractured during the middle phase of the stage as teams tested one another across exposed sections, before a reset approaching the final 40 kilometres restored most of the sprint contenders. Lidl-Trek remained composed throughout, closing down a late counterattack and then asserting control once the stage tipped decisively towards a bunch finish.
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“Everything feels quite easy with this team”
Milan was quick to underline how much of the victory rested on the collective effort around him, particularly through the most nervous moments of the stage.
“I just stayed near the front,” he explained. “My teammates guided me through it really well. We actually had quite a lot of fun in those echelons.”
Once the sprint trains began to form, Lidl-Trek’s control became increasingly visible. The pace rose sharply in the final kilometres, the peloton stretched, and Milan was kept out of trouble as the lead-out took shape.
“With this team, everything feels quite easy, I have to say,” Milan added. “Hopefully, it continues like this all season. I’m very happy with how we’ve started.”
The win was Milan’s second in as many days and the 27th professional victory of his career, confirming him as the dominant sprinter of the opening stages in Saudi Arabia.
“I think I’m really at a good level”
Beyond the immediate results, Milan also pointed to his condition as a key source of confidence so early in the year.
“I think so, yes,” he said when asked if he was riding at the level he had hoped for. “We came here in good condition and I think I’m really at a good level. I’m very happy about that.”
The profile of the race now begins to shift away from his strengths, with the upcoming stage presenting a tougher test for the climbers. Milan is realistic about what lies ahead, even as he reflects on a flawless opening to the season.
“Tomorrow is another difficult stage. The finale isn’t 100% for me,” he said with a laugh. “But the day after, we’ll try again.”
Two stages in, Milan and Lidl-Trek have turned a potentially chaotic opening to the AlUla Tour into a statement of control and confidence, laying down an early marker for the sprint battles still to come in 2026.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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