"It’s not just this 20 second of sprint or the victory in the end that makes me happy" - Jonathan Milan rewards teammates work with second stage win of 2024 Giro

Taking his second stage win at the 2024 Giro d'Italia, Jonathan Milan powered to victory in an absolutely brutal sprint on stage 11.

“You know it’s not just this 20 second of sprint or the victory in the end that makes me happy," reflected the Italian, who also further extended his lead in the Maglia Ciclamino competition with this latest victory, in his post-stage interview. "It’s all the work we did, my guys did today, supporting me, bringing me to the crucial position for the sprint, pushing, it’s this that makes me happy."

In the finale, Milan opted to position himself of the wheel of Soudal - Quick-Step's Tim Merlier, who finished second at the line, although he was later relegated due to a diversion in the sprint, forcing out Juan Sebastian Molano.

"He’s always tricky in the final, how to predict him and how to move," Milan says of Merlier. "We tried to manage it as much as possible. It was a tricky final with some corners and also this straight finish, it was more difficult I think to manage this than a normal finish with some corners. In the end I found myself on his wheel, I think it was a perfect wheel. He started his sprint really strong but then I tried to make mine and it was good."