Winner Fretin asked Van Aert about contact during springt after the finish and shares ambitious spring plans

Milan Fretin is quickly climbing the sprinter ranks. The 23-year-old Belgian from Cofidis kicked off his season impressively after a strong 2024, winning the GP Almería. But in the Volta ao Algarve, he secured another victory at an even higher level. Now, he heads into races in his home country with ambition, as he revealed in Portugal to IDLProCycling.com.

Fretin claimed an incredible victory in Faro, in what was not an easy stage. "The pace was so high. We knew beforehand that it would be tough for the sprinters, and I expected Visma | Lease a Bike to make it hard. Wout van Aert can survive the longest among the fast guys. After 120 kilometers, I started to believe in it, and I still had power left for the sprint."

"I can't believe it. I don’t know what to say. My second victory in the second weekend of this season—that’s amazing," said a thrilled Fretin, who appeared to slightly cut off Van Aert in the final sprint. "Did I make contact with Wout? As a sprinter, you automatically take the shortest path when you feel you’re passing someone, so that’s what happened. I also asked Wout about it, and he said not much happened. It’s just part of sprinting."

So, Fretin and Cofidis are happy. But what has allowed the fast Belgian in French service to make such a big leap? "Last year, we had a tough season as a team. We made some changes in the area of performance and trained a bit harder, so that has been the biggest difference."

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Fretin could already relieve the pressure in Spain

One week earlier, he had already struck in Almería, so once things start clicking for Fretin, the train keeps rolling. “Well, it gives me confidence and takes away the uncertainties. Nothing special, but every rider probably feels that at the start of a season. You work hard in the winter, but so does everyone. I felt strong and fast, but in your first race, you always have some question marks. It looks like we definitely haven’t taken a step backward.”

"You do feel a bit nervous. The evening before a sprint like that, I always have some stress, but the moment I wake up, it completely disappears. Then I just look forward to racing," he takes us through his preparation.

Anyone who looked beyond the winners’ lists last year would already recognize Fretin as a strong sprinter. “I was very satisfied with last season. I was able to take a good step forward and had a solid, consistent season, with some really nice results in the fall. I managed to beat a few guys who have also won stages in grand tours. That gave me a lot of confidence, which I was able to build on over the winter. I trained well and stayed healthy, so I’ve come into the season in good shape.”

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What can we expect from Fretin in spring classics?

And now? Flanders! Starting with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. "Belgian races are still a bit of a learning process for me. I’ve made progress, so now it’s about seeing what that means in these races. Based on how I feel now, I’m going into them with ambition, not just to participate. I think I can get results there, and if it comes down to a sprint, I can be in the fight for victory."

"I’ll be riding Kuurne, maybe Dwars door Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem, Brugge-De Panne, and Scheldeprijs. And then some smaller races like Monseré, Criquielion, Nokere, and Denain. After Paris-Roubaix, my spring campaign will be over," Fretin reveals on behalf of his proud employer, Cofidis. "The team extended my contract until 2027 last year, so I think they’re happy with me. They trust me, just as I trust them. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have re-signed. I feel good in this team, and we have a plan, working toward the future. If we keep going like this, we can achieve great things."

Finally, anyone scrolling through Fretin’s Instagram will notice plenty of “maat” (buddy) comments from teammate Jan Maas. "Jan is a super nice guy. I didn’t know him before, but of course, he’s also Dutch-speaking. He’s really friendly, and he already feels like a buddy. Even outside of racing, we’ve been in contact quite a bit, and in Almería, he did an amazing job for me. Together, we’re capable of great things," concludes an ambitious Fretin.

Read also

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