Lidl Trek's Jonathan Milan smashes world record - Sprinter hits new heights after previously beating Filippo Ganna's benchmark
Cycling
Jonathan Milan has smashed a new world record, beating his own record at the Track World Championships in Shanghai. The Lidl-Trek sprinter has become the first rider ever to break 3:59 in the individual pursuit event.
The Italian powerhouse qualified for the final on Friday after recording an incredible 3:58.851 in qualifying. He previously set the world record two years ago at the World Championships in Denmark.
The new record is particularly impressive given the 26-year-old did so at low altitude, with the veledrome in Shanghai close to sea level. At higher altitudes, track riders can benefit from the lower air density - contributing to increased aerodynamic gains when riding against the clock.
The individual pursuit is all about fine margins as the event involves athletes taking in 16 laps of a 250m track, making up 4 kilometers from a standing start.
Jonathan Milan is the Italian champion on the road
Milan takes another record as riders push the limits
The Italian is now favourite to take gold in the event, he faces Danish rider Frederik Madsen in the final later on Firday. Madsen himself qualified in 3:59.979 as he became just the fifth rider to ever break four minutes in the event.
Filippo Ganna was the rider to push the envelope in 2022 and 2020, breaking the world record four times. He did it three times between 2019 and 2020 before a 3:59.636. Before that, Ashton Lambie was the first to break the four-minute mark in 2021 with a time of 3:59.930.
Milan took the record for the first time two years ago, his 3:59.153 time on that occasion has been firmly blown out of the water as he put over 0.3 seconds into his best-ever effort. The new benchmark means that the record has been broken eight times in the past seven years.
Eight new world records in just seven years
| Time | Rider | Date |
| 4:04.252 | Filippo Ganna (ITA) | 3 November, 2019 |
| 4:02.647 | Filippo Ganna (ITA) | 3 November, 2019 |
| 4:01.934 | Filippo Ganna (ITA) | 28 February, 2020 |
| 3:59.930 | Ashton Lambie (USA) | 18 August, 2021 |
| 3:59.636 | Filippo Ganna (ITA) | 14 October, 2022 |
| 3:59.304 | Josh Charlton (GBR) | 18 October, 2024 |
| 3:59.153 | Jonathan Milan (ITA) | 18 October, 2024 |
| 3:58.850 | Jonathan Milan (ITA) | 16 October ,2026 |
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- "c'mon Jonas!"wrsty05-11-2026
- I see I missed a lot during my boycott.Jumpyjohn05-11-2026
- What kind of sauce is on that rice? Ketchup?Kbd05-11-2026
- 18 broken bones. 78 crashes, among 30 rider per year is a lot. so for a rider over 15 seasons, they will break their bones 7-8 times and crash 38 times.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- i dont think he is ready ot win against the top 2 or the 2nd rung of evenepoel, del toro , Almeida. In the third week in the TDF he was very very defensive, no attacks. i think he was exhausted. right now he needs time not the brutal Giro or the intense TDF.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
Loading
2 Comments