"World championship for sprinters" - Jonathan Milan eager for Tour de France debut and battles with Philipsen, Merlier, Girmay
Cycling
At the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana there will be three mountainous days, a team time-trial and only one stage for the sprinters on the final day. Hence, it is a surprise that Lidl-Trek have shown up at the start line with Jonathan Milan, his full leadout and no options for the overall classification. But the Spanish race serves as preparation for his goals later in the spring and his Tour de France debut.
“I think we had a good period in the classics last year. For me it was important to grow as a rider. In these races you need luck and experience, and I learned a lot and took a step forward. Let’s hope that this season will also be the case," Milan shared with In de Leiderstrui. "We have great ambitions with our strong team. Personally, I am aiming for a small result. I have to be honest about that. Maybe I will have the chance to get it, maybe not.”
Although there is only one stage for the fast men this year, Milan will still have some competition on the arrival to Valencia this Sunday, with the likes of Kaden Groves, Gerben Thijssen and Iuri Leitão well present. Milan will then travel to the UAE Tour which is much more sprinter friendly and one of the highlights of the year for the fast men; Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne; and Tirreno-Adriatico before the block of spring classics.
"I wouldn’t say that Milano-Sanremo is more special than the Belgian races, but obviously it’s a race that is close to my heart as an Italian," he adds, before talking about his experience last year. "Last year after Cipressa I was already exhausted. Then I started pedaling in the lead towards Poggio, to still be useful in that sense. Now it’s about saving more energy and trying to survive Poggio.”
This year it may be a more difficult task, as UAE Team Emirates - XRG have been anticipating a race made for Tadej Pogacar, which could prove to be very hard for sprinters such as the Italian. He will then also race Gent - Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.
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However the other big goal lies on the Tour de France, where he will be within a shot of the yellow jersey on the first stage of the race. “The Tour is a new challenge and I can’t wait to face it without putting too much pressure on myself. In any case, the big ambitions are there, obviously. We all know that the Tour is something different, and I see it as something completely new".
"Of course, I took a look at the route. It’s like a world championship for sprinters. Other sprinters might start looking at me, but I don’t see it as extra pressure. Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier are just two of the rivals. They are different though. Tim can come very strong from behind, as we saw at the European Championships. Jasper is more often in front and does his sprints more the way I like them. I always watch them when they race, but there are others like that.”
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Who’s excited to see these guys start their 2025 season? 🙋🙋♀️🙋♂️ Here’s our line up for this weeks Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/3K9G4Ek0Bg
— Lidl-Trek (@LidlTrek) February 3, 2025
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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