Entering the 2025 Tour de France, Jonathan Milan was one of a handful of sprinters expected to regularly fight it out for stage wins and the green jersey. The first week of racing hasn’t provided tons of opportunities, but across three sprint stages so far, Milan is emerging as the likeliest candidate for the unofficial title of Sprinter du Tour – the rider who dominates the sprint finishes.
That’s a remarkable turnaround from stage 1. With not just a stage win but a statement yellow jersey on the line, Milan seemed to shrink after taking the intermediate sprint, with a muted group two finish, 39 seconds down to the leaders. Even for a rider with two consecutive points jerseys at the Giro d’Italia (and four stage wins there), a debut in the Tour is a watershed career moment and, momentarily at least, Milan appeared a bit starstruck by the sheer magnitude of the race.
But like any good pro, he quickly got his bearings and rebounded with a second-place finish on stage 3, losing by mere centimeters in a bike throw at the line. Even with the shocking crash-caused departure of stage 1 winner Jasper Philipsen, it looked like the battle for the sprints was starting to take shape. But after the third sprint stage on Saturday, another storyline is emerging: Milan is establishing himself as the pre-eminent fast finisher in the race. And what’s curious is that’s happening almost by default.
Dane Cash
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