"The classics are in my heart" - Jonathan Milan aiming for breakout year in 2023

Up-and-coming Italian Jonathan Milan has expressed his desire for 2023 to be the year in which he really makes his mark on the biggest stages in road cycling. “I would like to ride my first Grand Tour, gain experience, help the team and maybe go for my own chance."

Already an Olympic Gold Medalist on the track, the 22-year-old Milan showed the clearest sign yet of his promise as a road rider at the 2022 CRO Race. Picking up his first two career victories on stages one and two, the Bahrain Victorious rider would take home the blue jersey for winning the points classification at the week-long Croatian stage race.

"Since I was a child, I have learned to have a certain discipline," Milan tells Tutto Bici. "If you have a dream to fight for and you want to achieve it at all costs, nothing will be impossible. It is important to be aware of what you can do, by seeing what is good, but also to see what can be improved."

Casting an eye to what the future holds, Milan who has recently been tipped for Classics success by none other than Elia Viviani, admitted he has big plans for the coming year. “I would like to ride my first Grand Tour, gain experience, help the team and maybe go for my own chance," he says. "The classics are in my heart, with Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix at the top. I've already ridden them both and I love them. I have already been able to contribute to the victories of Matej Mohoric and Sonny Colbrelli."