Jonathan Milan is moving steadily toward claiming the title of the best sprinter in the world. As a start, I’d say it’s not bad at all. So far in his career, he’s only ridden in three Grand Tours: two editions of the Giro d’Italia – where he claimed the ciclamino jersey both times – and, in his very first Tour de France, he came home with the green jersey. That’s an achievement many riders, myself included, chase for years without ever managing to get it.
Bringing home a result like that on debut is something extraordinary. Milan also managed to win two stages. Standing on the podium in Paris wearing the green jersey is a huge milestone. For Italian cycling, it means a great deal.
If we look at the general classification, you have to scroll all the way down to 38th place to find Simone Velasco. It’s clear that right now, we’re strong in time trials and in sprints. What we’re missing is rebuilding that category of complete riders, but there are plenty of promising young talents on the horizon. We just need to keep our feet on the ground. Jonathan’s success should be an inspiration for the entire Italian cycling movement.
As for the yellow cards, I’m a bit sceptical. Fines and relegations are fair when necessary; fairness has to be the foundation of every sport, cycling included. But the system they’ve adopted doesn’t seem all that straightforward to me. I was a sprinter for many years, and throughout my career, I never committed a foul or blocked anyone. Fairness was something I really believed in. But if I think about a few elbows or murky moves, I have to admit that sometimes they’re almost inevitable.
The judging system isn’t always clear. If certain rules were applied rigidly, in some Giro, Tour, or Vuelta sprints, half the peloton would risk getting sent home. When a move is truly dangerous or unsportsmanlike, it’s absolutely right to disqualify or relegate the rider. But this new method, I wouldn’t say I dislike it, but I’m not fully convinced by it either.
From a visual standpoint, the final stage’s passage through Montmartre was spectacular, with a huge crowd. It made the stage even more striking. Unfortunately, the rain came down: without the neutralisation, more riders could have gone for it. After the first acceleration, only a handful were left, in my opinion. I stand by the sprinters’ side, and I totally understand the disappointment of those who completed the Tour hoping to contest the final sprint. The last stage is like a ‘World Championship’ for sprinters. The classic Paris sprint still gives me more emotion, not just because I won it, but because it’s a dream so many riders chase.
I’ve been watching the Tour since I was a kid, and crashes have always been part of it. Cycling keeps evolving every year, but the faster you go, the shorter your reaction time. Today’s bikes are incredibly high-performance, and even with disc brakes, speeds are so high that there’s very little margin for error. You simply can’t eliminate crashes from cycling. It’s a dangerous sport, and that’s just a fact. Crashes have always been part of it, and sadly, they’ll continue to be.
Tadej Pogačar, in my view, made the right call in skipping the Vuelta. He’s a phenomenon, but we tend to forget way too quickly what he did at the start of the season. He’s a rider who races from February to October, and he won the Giro after turning in phenomenal performances in the early part of the year. Even at Paris–Roubaix, he wasn’t far from winning. Even for a rider like him, who often looks like he’s playing a different sport, recovering is essential if he wants to go for the World Championships. Skipping the Spanish race is the smartest move. He’s only 26, and he’ll have plenty of chances to win the Vuelta, probably more than once.
The World Championships in Rwanda will be brutally hard: 5,500 meters of climbing, perfect for riders who thrive in the mountains. For us Italians, hopes rest on Giulio Ciccone, who finished third at Il Lombardia in 2024 and second at this year’s Liège–Bastogne–Liège. So potentially, we can dream of a podium. It won’t be easy, because the Worlds are unlike any other race: you need experience, the right condition, and a bit of luck. But in such a tough edition, there’s still hope for our riders to shine.
