"Why not? I think we’ll have some fun" - Jonathan Milan optimistic about hopes on challenging stage 1 at Criterium du Dauphine

Arguably the strongest sprinter in the peloton at the 2025 Criterium du Dauphine, Jonathan Milan is among the standout contenders for victory on stage 1 of the prestigious French stage race this afternoon. Given the challenging parcours however, a sprint finish is by no means a certainty for the Lidl-Trek leader.

Up and down for much of the day, climbs such as the Côte de Domérat and the Côte de Buffon on the finishing circuit could be tough enough to jettison some of the more powerful sprinters in the bunch if raced at a tough enough pace by the peloton. Something Milan himself is very aware of. "It will be a tough day. It’s a long stage, and we’ll have to control it," he explains in a pre-stage interview with Cycling Pro Net. "It’ll be hard to control from the beginning. We can’t let too many riders go, because the parcours is hilly — up and down — and the final will be tough to keep the group together."

Nevertheless, Milan is quietly optimistic about his chances in the finale. "Yeah, we’re hoping for that (a bunch sprint ed.) and we’ll be looking for it. That’s what I can say," he concludes. "If we approach it in a super hard way, for sure a lot of riders will try to attack on the climbs — even if they’re not super long. But if they go at a crazy pace, it’ll already be hard for me. So I’ll try my best. The condition is starting to get good, so… why not? I think we’ll have some fun."