“Hopefully it continues like this all season” – Jonathan Milan makes it two wins in two days to open 2026 at the AlUla Tour

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.

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.

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.