How Jonathan Milan used an Italian term to keep his incredible peak power a secret—but still revealed it

Jonathan Milan will compete in the Tour de France for the first time in just five more months. Lidl-Trek's Italian sprinter won the competition in his team against Mads Pedersen for a spot as Tour leader, but he also wanted to prove that he was worthy of it in the months before. IDLProCycling.com spoke with him.

Whoever sees Milan on and off the bike sees an impressive guy. Tall, broad, and above all, very powerful. But also very friendly: all journalists at the Lidl-Trek media day get handshakes and thanks from Milan, who took twenty minutes to answer all questions with a smile.

He reveals that his strong body has been slightly polished for 2025. 'I tried to improve my positioning on the bike a bit, doing a lot of core exercises. That helps the body's stability; you can use all your power on the pedals because I probably move less with my upper body. Sometimes I don't know where to put my body, haha.'

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Milan became winner of the points classification at the Giro in 2024

Milan focuses on spring in addition to Tour

He also showed power in Gent-Wevelgem in 2024 but wants to show himself in more spring races this year. "I think we had a good classical period last year. For myself, it was important to grow as a rider. You need luck and experience in those races, and I learned a lot and took a step forward. Hopefully, that will succeed this season as well."

"We have some nice ambitions with our strong team. Personally, I'm aiming for a small result; I have to be honest about that. Maybe I'm going to get the chance to get that one, maybe not." What is a small result? "The races I'm going to ride, I like. For example, I'm not doing the Tour of Flanders, but that means I'm focusing on other races."

"My program is set," Milan says. "I'll start with the Tour of Valencia and then do the UAE Tour. Then I'll go through Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Tirreno-Adriatico to Milan-Sanremo, and then do De Panne, Ghent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. That means I'm going to get a lot of chances, but they're all big, important races."

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Milan aims to ride a good result in Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix

So, it will mainly be racing in Italy, Belgium, and a little of France. "I wouldn't say Milan-Sanremo is more special than the Belgian races, but of course, that is a race close to my heart as an Italian. Last year, I crossed the Cipressa, and I was already exhausted. Then I started riding in the front towards the Poggio, to be still valuable that way. Now it will be a matter of saving more energy and trying to survive the Poggio."

The Monuments also stand out for Milan. "I like Roubaix, for example. It's a tough race, and I've never finished it because I've crashed every time. You are basically out of the race in Roubaix, but that race continues to attract me." That applies not only to the sprinter but also to friend/colleague hard rider Filippo Ganna.

"Sanremo and Roubaix suit Filippo very well. In the past two years, we have seen that he can do his thing there, and I think we can expect him to be more than ready in these races," Milan said of his INEOS-riding companion, who, like him, will scale back on track cycling.

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Milan (right) next to classic leader Mads Pedersen (left)

Milan will do less track cycling, just like Ganna

"I'm on a quest for victories, so I will also scale down a bit on the track. Last year, it was mentally difficult to focus on track cycling until the middle of October. Those are moments when I might take some extra rest now," points out Milan, who knows he will also need that rest from time to time for the busy 2025 season.

"When I'm at home, I like to be with my family and girlfriend. Other than that, I don't have many things I like to do, although I like to ride my Vespa occasionally. That's cool. Which one is faster? It's a very old Vespa, from 1962. So I can say I go faster. That Vespa goes up to 35 kilometers per hour, which already gives resistance. When I reach 38, it shakes everywhere, haha!"

People are impressed with the wattage Milan pedals in the peloton in his sprints. Can he talk about that? A smile appears on his face, followed by the term 'Ragazzi' (freely translated: boys...) and an Italian hand gesture. "The peak is a little lower now, but I try to keep it going longer. Ragazzi, is it still fun for you guys to come to the races when I tell you all? My peak was always 1965, 1960 watts. Whether I know what my competitors are pedaling? Nah, I don't care. You can know everything, but in the end, what counts is who gets to the finish line first."

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Milan to Tour for first time: "It was always either Mads or me"

The Tour de France is also scheduled for the first time in Milan's career. "Before the Tour, it was always either Mads or me. We discussed that after the season, and finally, that decision was made. The Tour is a new challenge, and I look forward to it without putting too much pressure on myself. Anyway, the big ambitions are, of course, there. We all know that the Tour is something different, and I see it as something completely new."

"My lead-out will normally include Edward Theuns, Simone Consonni, and Jasper Stuyven, also in the Tour de France. Other riders are going to be added here and there. But those guys I trust one hundred percent, and the communication is excellent," said Milan, who knows only too well that there is a good chance for success on day one in Lille.

"Of course, I looked at the route, and there is an immediate change in stage once, so we will have to be there right away. That's something like a world championship for sprinters. Other sprinters might start looking at me, but I don't see that as extra pressure. Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier are just two of the competitors. They are different types, though. Tim can come very hard from behind, as we saw at the European Championships. Jasper is more often in front and makes his sprints more like I like to do them. I always watch them when they compete, but there are others like that."

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