Milan fears "bittersweet ending" in green jersey battle with Pogacar, and especially van der Poel: "Mathieu is just Mathieu"
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Follow us on GoogleJonathan Milan believes the chances of him securing the green jersey in the Tour de France are becoming increasingly slim. The 24-year-old Italian has been accumulating points throughout the race, particularly in the intermediate sprints, and has already sprinted to victory on stage 8, finishing second on stages 3 and 9. Nevertheless, after fifteen days, he only has a 28-point lead over Tadej Pogacar in the battle for the green jersey, and Mathieu van der Poel is 41 points behind. Will that be enough?
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“It will be very difficult to keep the green jersey,” agrees Lidl-Trek sports director Steven de Jongh in Tutto Bici. “Pogacar can play the game the way he wants. The points classification is one of the goals we set ourselves for the Tour, along with winning stages. We've already won one, and two slipped through our fingers. We'll have to keep fighting for the intermediate sprints, although we won't change our race strategy. We still want to win.”
With a grueling third week in the Alps and the final day in Paris with the climb to Montmartre, it's going to be touch and go for Milan. Nevertheless, he is giving it his all, as he was also in the breakaway in Sunday's tough fifteenth stage. “I had big ambitions and felt good. I wanted to score as many points as possible. I dug deep and tried to stay with the group for the intermediate sprint, but it didn't work out.”
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Milan fears a bittersweet ending
Van der Poel pushed forward on behalf of Alpecin-Deceuninck and scored 20 points in the intermediate sprint. This means that the Dutchman and Pogacar are the main contenders for green in the third week. “I'm a little disappointed, but Mathieu is just Mathieu. It will be challenging in the next few stages, because there are still some tough ones to come. It could be a bittersweet ending, after fighting for three weeks and then just missing out.”
The painful element in the green jersey discussion for Milan will undoubtedly be the lack of intention shown by Pogacar and van der Poel. The former is fighting for the yellow jersey and was high in the green jersey standings mainly due to his dominance in the punchy stages in the first week. Van der Poel has repeatedly stated that the points classification is not a goal for him, but: “I hope Milan doesn't get sick or that something happens, but if it does, I'd rather be second than third in that classification, of course,” he said.
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026