Jonathan Milan has a new, more aerodynamic bike position for 2026, and is convinced it can help him win more sprints, especially at the Giro d'Italia - where he will be targeting the first pink jersey and the points jersey this May.
The 25-year-old Italian has swapped roles with teammate Mads Pedersen for 2026, with the Dane aiming at the Tour de France sprints and green jersey. The Lidl-Trek duo will combine for some of the Classics like Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix, but Milan is the squad's lead out-and-out sprinter.
As such, Milan will take on Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep), Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CMG) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and emerging talents like Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) in the flat sprint finishes at the Giro and elsewhere.
Milan won two stages at the 2025 Tour and the green jersey, ending the year with nine victories, mainly using his raw power to win. He also stands out in the peloton due to his height and his bobbing head in the sprints.
However, aerodynamics are arguably as important for success as power, that latter characteristic is also a weak spot that Milan and Lidl-Trek have worked hard on during the winter.
"We've changed the size of my frame and widened the handlebars," Milan explained in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"It's helped me save energy, especially for the sprints, where it's important to be fresh for the finish. I'm able to stay a lot lower in general, really get my head down. You'll see, there's a clear difference."
Milan first excelled on the track and turned professional with Bahrain Victorious in 2021. He moved to Lidl-Trek in 2024 and is convinced he is still learning and still improving. The now-German registered team lost Jasper Stuyven and Daan Hoole last winter but signed Max Walscheid to bolster Milan's leadout train.
"I always try to improve via my training, methods, aerodynamics and in the gym. The idea is to improve," Milan said, remaining as modest as ever. He is a true gentleman sprinter, who only loses his cool in the final hundred metres of a high-speed sprint.
"The best in our sport are those who never make mistakes or almost never make mistakes. Pogačar is one of them. I'm not there yet," Milan said.
"There are lots of great sprinters out there and more coming up quickly. I want to be one of the best, that's my simple goal."
Milan will begin his 2026 season at the AlUla Tour in late January as a stepping stone to the first big sprint showdown at the UAE Tour in mid-February.
With Juan Ayuso targeting the Tour de France alongside Pedersen, Milan will return to the Giro d'Italia, where he won a stage and the points jersey in a breakthrough 2024 season. The Corsa Rosa has at least six sprint opportunities.
"Right from the start, there's a chance to wear the pink jersey and that doesn't happen often," he pointed out.
"The maglia rosa is a childhood dream, it always has been. Now it's not just a dream but a real objective."
