Sprinter turned climber? Jonathan Milan comes alive on final climb at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana: "I always rode at the limit today"

Renowned as one of the top sprinters in the world, Jonathan Milan took on an unexpected role as a climber today! During the fourth stage of the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana 2025, Santiago Buitrago of Bahrain Victorious claimed victory, seizing the overall lead from Joao Almeida in a surprising result. However, the bigger surprise was that Milan securing second place, finishing just six seconds behind.

Milan is rarely satisfied with second place, but excelling on a demanding climb is not typically part of his skill set.

“I had to let go a few times today, I think even three times,” Milan shared with Eurosport following the uphill finish. “But the team always brought me back. I always rode at the limit today, really the whole day.”

Teammate Jakob Söderqvist also played a crucial role, providing a strong lead-out for Milan in the steep final kilometre. “I started there in a good position, it was clear that Jakob had good legs. He also made a gap 500 metres from the finish, I saw that he felt better there. But then I saw Santiago Buitrago coming from behind. He was really going super fast,” Milan recounted.

“Then I chose my own pace in the last 400 meters towards the finish,” he added.

Milan acknowledged the teamwork that set him up for success. “I had a strong team that worked well. Now the focus is on tomorrow,” he said, referring to the opportunity to sprint for victory on tomorrow’s stage. Milan will be the favourite tomorrow, and showed today that he is starting the year in very strong form.

The year 2025 promises to be a significant one for Milan. Having won the points classification in the last two editions of the Giro d'Italia, he is set to make his Tour de France debut, where he will challenge Jasper Philipsen and Biniam Girmay for the prestigious green jersey.