Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) sprinted to his first-ever road race victory on French soil in Stage 2 of the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné, outpacing Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in a thrilling finale in Issoire. The 21-year-old Italian powered his way through the last kilometre after a perfect lead-out from his teammates, claiming not only the stage but also the race leader’s yellow jersey.
Milan’s victory came after a challenging day, where he had to fight back from a difficult moment in the middle of the race. However, thanks to a well-timed sprint and the perfect positioning by his team, he secured his maiden win and moved to the top of the general classification, overtaking Tadej Pogačar.
Stage 2 began with an undulating route from Prémilhat to Issoire, covering 204 kilometers and featuring six minor climbs along the way. While the profile looked promising for breakaway specialists, Lidl-Trek had other plans for Milan, and he was ready to fight for a strong result.
The early breakaway formed after Romain Combaud (Picnic-PostNL), Christopher Juul-Jensen (Jayco-AlUla), Victor Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), and Paul Ourselin (Cofidis) escaped from the peloton. They built a gap that fluctuated between 90 seconds and two minutes for much of the day, but the peloton, led by teams like Alpecin-Deceuninck, UAE Team Emirates, and Visma-Lease a Bike, kept them within reach.
Despite the tactical move from the break, Milan struggled as the pace picked up, and he found himself distanced from the peloton. But the race was far from over for the Italian, as his teammates and his determination brought him back into the fold as the breakaway’s lead began to dwindle.
With just 50 kilometers left, the remnants of the breakaway, Juul-Jensen and Guernalec, were caught by the chasing peloton, who now started to ramp up the pace in anticipation of the final climb.
With the Côte de Nonette (a category four climb) just 18 kilometers from the finish, Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL) launched an attack on his home roads, hoping to make a final push. The Frenchman’s effort was short-lived, as the peloton quickly reeled him in and regained control. At this point, the stage was set for a sprint finish, and the sprint teams began to assert their dominance at the front.
With the peloton in full chase mode, Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) played a key role in keeping the pace high, helping to maintain the momentum towards the finish. As the final kilometre neared, UAE Team Emirates assumed control of the front of the pack, setting up for a perfect lead-in to the sprint.
The key moment came at the last corner, where Lidl-Trek’s well-rehearsed lead-out train positioned Milan perfectly for his final surge. With Simon Consonni peeling off, Milan launched his sprint, immediately opening a gap on his rivals.
Wright and van der Poel both unleashed powerful sprints of their own, but neither could match Milan’s speed. The Italian held his position at the front, crossing the line with a few metres to spare, and clinching his first Critérium du Dauphiné stage win.
Visibly overwhelmed, Milan shared his thoughts after the race:
“It was such a tough day. Our goal coming here was to build my condition and hopefully get some good results, but I didn’t expect this. Yesterday was my first race in a long time, and I suffered a lot. Today, I struggled again at one point and was dropped, but I have to thank my teammates—they got me back on and brought me to the final metres.”
“We knew we had to be in the front before the last corner, and it worked out perfectly. To wear the yellow jersey is a dream come true. I’m really happy with this win, and it’s all thanks to the support from my team. This is a special moment for me, and I’m grateful for everyone who’s been with me on this journey.”
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