Jonathan Milan enters the 2026 season as one of the world's best sprinters. Last year, in fact, cemented the Italian sprinter's place among the top sprinters in the discipline, with nine total victories, including two stages at the Tour de France and the green jersey at the Grande Boucle .

Milan will begin his season at the AlUla Tour , aiming to put some miles in his legs and be ready for the first part of 2026, when he will focus on the spring classics : “Every year I try to improve,” the Lidl Trek sprinter told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Training, working methods. Aerodynamics, gym. In my mind, there is always the idea of taking a step forward. That's what I put all my effort into.” The 25-year-old and his team focused in particular on one improvement: "Position. And not because of the many comments I've heard, almost as if everyone is a biomechanic... We talked about it a lot as a team, with the specialists. And I acted accordingly. We completely changed the frame size of the bike, widened the handlebars," Milan continued. "This way, we're able to save a lot of energy, especially for the sprint, where you have to arrive as fresh as possible. And I'm able to stay much lower, overall. I can lean my head down a lot more. This, you'll see, will be a noticeable difference."

This year, Milan won't be competing in the Tour de France, but he will be competing again in the Giro d'Italia, and his focus is already set on the first stage, a race suited to sprinters: "The Giro will offer me many opportunities, starting with the chance to wear the first pink jersey. And that doesn't always happen. The pink jersey, in my childhood dreams, was always there. Now it's not a dream, but a goal.  

I'll be back training on the track again during the year," Milan said. "I often speak to coach Dino Salvoldi. I'd like to finish the season on a high note, between individual pursuit and quartet."

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency