“We showed that we are one of the best trains” – Jonathan Milan ends UAE Tour with third sprint victory
Cycling
Jonathan Milan closed out the 2026 UAE Tour in dominant fashion, powering to victory on the final stage in Abu Dhabi and underlining Lidl-Trek’s sprint authority across the week.
“It’s really nice to end this UAE Tour with this victory. Last year was pretty close to this – Merlier anticipated a huge sprint, and I wanted to do more or less the same, so I took a bit of experience from last year,” Milan said after his win.
The Italian launched his sprint inside the final 300 metres after a tense run-in, where the day’s breakaway was only caught inside the final two kilometres.
With the wind shifting to a headwind in the closing stretch and multiple teams jostling for position, timing proved decisive.
Fast and controlled finale
“Today was a super fast stage and also hard with the wind and the super strong break. We had to control it, and we did really well,” Milan explained. “I want to say thanks for the huge efforts my teammates did in this UAE Tour. We showed that we are one of the best trains, so I’m happy with the victories and also with how we did the race.”
The final stage was raced at more than 50 km/h on average, and although several teams contributed to the chase, Lidl - Trek gradually imposed order in the closing kilometres. Derek Gee-West was among those called into the lead-out effort before Milan delivered the finishing kick.
It marked Milan’s third stage victory of this year’s UAE Tour and the 30th professional win of his career. “I’m really, really happy for this achievement, and I hope to keep pushing and try to be the best in the next races of the season. Then we will see how it will end,” he added.
While Isaac del Toro sealed the overall title safely in the peloton behind, the final word of the race once again belonged to Milan, a reminder that on flat terrain, few trains currently run smoother than Lidl-Trek’s.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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