"It was our goal to win the final stage" - Jonathan Milan and Lidl-Trek have perfect start and finish to week in Valencia

Lidl-Trek selected a lineup packed with sprinters, rouleurs and classics riders to the very hilly Volta a Comunitat Valenciana. As it turns out, it would be a great choice, as the American team leaves the race with two stage wins and a few days in the lead. Jonathan Milan sealed the deal on stage 5 this afternoon as he won in Valencia.

“It was quite a difficult stage. It went very fast. The wind made the peloton very nervous the whole time. There were even echelons at one point. We were at the front and were ready. We knew this could happen," Milan said in a post-race interview. “It went very well. We decided to control almost immediately at the beginning of the stage. My team managed to put me in the perfect position for the sprint. I have to thank them very much.”

The final stage was designed for the sprinters and Milan was the main favourite, with the likes of Kaden Groves and Gerben Thijssen as possible contenders to battle him. The duo failed to be in Milan's wheel into the technical final sprint (with a corner coming with 200 meters to go), and the spotless leadout work of Simone Consonni, as usual, delivered his compatriot to a comfortable win.

“This is a very important victory. I was really looking for it. It was our goal to win the final stage,” the Italian continued. It is his first win of the season but not only did he show his pure raw power this afternoon, but he also displayed terrific form this past Saturday as he rode through the hills very well to then finish second to Santiago Buitrago in the hilltop finish. A sign of good things to come this spring, where he will have goals at Milano-Sanremo and some of the cobbled classics.

Mathias Vacek suffered some bad luck as he crashed whilst leading the race on stage 3, but nevertheless the balance is positive for Lidl-Trek as they leave Spain. “I like coming here. It is a nice race to start the season with. I also felt good, especially in the stage on Saturday. We can look back on a nice week.”