Jonathan Milan on Milano-Sanremo hopes and if he fears Pogacar: “You have already lost if you have that attitude”
Cycling
Jonathan Milan has already made his mark on the Giro d’Italia, winning the points classification two years in a row. But as the 24-year-old prepares to take on Milano-Sanremo this weekend, the question is whether he can translate his stage race sprinting into a Monument-winning performance.
In a team press release, Milan reflected on his recent form, the recovery from a crash, and what he’s hoping to achieve on Saturday.
After a challenging start to Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan was encouraged by how the week finished, both for himself and the Lidl-Trek team.
“For me and for all the team, it was important to finish Tirreno-Adriatico in the best way possible and we were able to do that,” he said. “Last week, we wanted to achieve more wins during the week but after the crash on Stage 3, I didn’t feel great over the climbs on the next couple of days.
"After the crash, I was scared especially about the elbow and ankle. I couldn’t give enough power to the left leg, especially in the minutes following the crash but, as I found out, nothing was broken, I decided to carry on and fortunately, by the end of the week I was feeling better, and I was happy with how the week ended, I feel confident again in my shape.”
For Milan, who isn’t known for his pure climbing abilities, the final ascents of Cipressa and Poggio present a major test. Staying in contention there will be critical to any result.
“I will try to do my best, try to stay in the group on the Poggio but I know they will ride very fast on all the climbs of the day. It will be very important to be there in the front. This week, I will make sure to do some good training, nothing crazy. I will go to climb Cipressa and Poggio and see the run in again to these last two climbs during the week and will try to get as ready as I can.”
While he admits it’s too early to make predictions, Milan is optimistic about his form and reassured by the strength of the Lidl-Trek squad lining up with him.
“I don’t know if it’s too soon to talk about the race and my chance to win it, but I do know that we will have a very strong team with myself, Mads Pedersen – who was racing really strong at Paris-Nice especially on the climbs – and I hope Jasper Stuyven is at 100% for the race after his crash on the last day of Tirreno. I was really sorry to see that happen; he is a crucial man for us on Saturday too.”
Tadej Pogacar may be the pre-race favourite, but Milan insists there’s no room for defeatist thinking on the start line.
“There are going to be many top riders at the start on Saturday but, I think Milano-Sanremo is like every other race, no one is there racing for only second place even if Tadej [Pogacar] is on the start line. You have already lost if you have that attitude, and we won’t be going in thinking that’s the only result possible especially with the group we have here.”
Milano-Sanremo is particularly special because it is a race that truly can be won by a variety of different rider profiles. In recent years, we've had Van der Poel winning, Philipsen and Mohoric too, and perhaps more significantly: not Tadej Pogacar!
So, can Milan add his name to the list of Milano-Sanremo kings this weekend? He is perhaps the most inform sprinter in the peloton, alongside Tim Merlier, and if it comes down to a sprint he could well be the man to beat.
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