Jonathan Milan sprints to Giro d'Italia stage win as Tadej Pogacar stays in overall lead
Cycling – Giro d’Italia – Stage 4 – Acqui Terme to Andora – Italy – May 7, 2024 Lidl – Trek’s Jonathan Milan celebrates winning stage 4 REUTERS / Jennifer Lorenzini
Lidl-Trek’s Italian rider Jonathan Milan went one better than his second-place finish on Monday by sprinting to victory on Stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia in front of ecstatic fans on his home turf.
Milan surged to the front close to the line and, despite the best efforts of Australia’s Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), he held on to make up for missing out on winning Stage 3 when he was outsprinted by Tim Merlier.
Germany’s Phil Bauhaus of Bahrain Victorious came in third on the 190km ride from Acqui Terme to Andora, which had seen a breakaway almost from the start, before the peloton brought them back to set up the expected sprint finish.
Race favourite and UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar kept tight hold of the overall leader’s pink jersey and remains 46 seconds ahead of Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers, with Colombia’s Daniel Martinez (Bora-Hansgrohe) a further second back in third.
“I have so many emotions now,” said Milan, who secured his fourth win of this season and ninth of his career. “I said from the beginning we came here with one goal for everyone. So today the guys did an amazing job. It is such an amazing sensation to win again here in the Giro d’Italia.
“I really have to say thanks always to my teammates – they first believe in this day and then also it’s pretty special because my parents they were here, so I’m really happy about it. It’s just an amazing sensation.
“We saw Filippo Ganna going full gas in the last climb, we caught him with 900 metres to go. Yeah, he also helped us in a way, let’s say. And then Simone Consonni did just a fantastic lead-out. And yeah, I just had to play my cards then.”
Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay of Intermarche-Wanty, who finished third in Stage 3 created history as the first black African to win a Grand Tour stage in the 2022 Giro, crashed on slippery roads and is out of the race.
Stage Five on Wednesday is an undulating 178km route from Genova to Lucca.
Meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard has completed his first outing on a bicycle a month after a horrific crash and insisted he was hopeful of bidding for a third straight Tour de France crown in the June 29 to July 21 race.
“Of course I hope to be there at the start of the Tour de France,” the Danish Visma-Lease a Bike rider said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. “We don’t know exactly how my shape and recovery will go but I will do everything I can to get there.”
The 27-year-old was hospitalised after suffering rib and collarbone fractures and sustaining lung damage in a mass crash on the Tour of the Basque Country on April 4.
“This is the first time back on the bike for me, riding outside and it’s really nice to be finally able to ride like normal again and finally to be able to ride on the road is really amazing,” Vingegaard added.
Stage 4 Result
1) Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) 4 hrs 16 mins 03 secs
2) Kaden Groves (Alpecin – Deceuninck) same time
3) Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious)
4) Olav Kooij (Visma – Lease a Bike)
5) Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick-Step)
General classification
1) Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 15 hrs 19 mins 05 secs
2) Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) +46secs
3) Daniel Martinez (Bora-Hansgrohe) +47secs
4) Cian Uijtdebroeks (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +55secs
5) Einer Rubio (Movistar) +56secs