“I knew how important it was to come to the second-to-last corner in first position” – Jonathan Milan explains UAE Tour masterclass
Cycling
Jonathan Milan did not just win Stage 5 of the UAE Tour. He solved it.
After doubling up in the desert with another dominant sprint, the Lidl Trek fast man revealed that this was a finish he had studied, remembered and corrected from last year.
“Last year here I finished second or third, and I think I knew how it important it was to come to the second-to-last corner in the first position, but also to be not too much in the front because from the last corner it's pretty far to the finish line,” Milan explained.
On a flat stage that always looked destined for a bunch sprint, the final kilometre was anything but straightforward. Two late corners and a long drag to the line meant positioning was everything. Too far back and the race was gone. Too early and you risked launching from too far out. Milan got it exactly right.
Learning from last year
Rather than simply relying on raw power, the Italian made it clear that this was about experience and timing. He knew the second-to-last corner was decisive. He knew the final turn opened onto a long run-in. And he knew that leading too early would be a mistake.
That awareness, combined with Lidl Trek’s control of the race, turned a chaotic finale into a controlled execution. “It was really well controlled by my teammates for all the stage, and then in the final it was a bit difficult to stay together, they all gave me a big hand and a big support, and in the end they positioned me well. I found a nice way to sprint, and I'm super happy for this result.”
Even in a scrappy run-in, Milan never looked boxed in or panicked. He surfed the wheels, hit the front at the right moment, and once he opened his sprint, no one could come around him.
The victory marks his second stage win of the week and reinforces his status as the dominant sprinter of this year’s UAE Tour. More importantly, it shows something else: this was not just speed. It was precision.
With Jebel Hafeet still to come for the general classification contenders, Milan has already made his mark on the flat days. And if another bunch sprint materialises before the race ends, the rest of the field now knows they are not just racing his legs. They are racing his memory of the road as well.
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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