Mission impossible? Jonathan Milan sets himself crazy new goals after Tour green jersey: "It’s asking a lot"

In three years, the 25-year-old Milan has flown from his first professional victories in the CRO Race to 25 wins. In 2023 and 2024, he won a total of four stages in the Giro d'Italia, and in both editions he took home the points jersey. This year, the giant Italian racked up nine victories, seven of them at WorldTour level.

His two stage wins in this year's Tour de France – and the highly desired green jersey – were the icing on the cake in 2025. The entire Lidl-Trek team was focused on the sprinter's green goal. “Winning that jersey was really a dream, and I accomplished it. But I really suffered in the stage to Lourdes,” he says, referring to the 14th stage to Luchon-Superbagnères during the Festival dello Sport in Trento. “Now I want more.”

In the coming years, Milan will focus more and more on the classics, and in particular, two Monuments. “I would really like to win Milan-Sanremo, although I don't think it will happen as long as the Cipressa climb remains in the course. But I also want to win Paris-Roubaix. This year I finished for the first time, but one day I want to be the best.”

Winning Paris-Roubaix and Milan-Sanremo is not something many riders can achieve, but it is not impossible. In the 21st century, Fabian Cancellara, John Degenkolb, and Mathieu van der Poel have done it before him. But in addition to the Monuments, Milan has another, perhaps even more ambitious dream: something that very few riders in history have achieved.

Milan wants to win stages in all the Grand Tours. Only in the Vuelta a España has he not yet succeeded, but that is not enough for the Italian: he wants to do it in one year. “It's asking a lot, but it's a dream of mine,” Milan realizes. “Even once in my career would be a huge achievement, but doing it all in one year would be the ultimate goal.”

Only three riders in cycling history have won stages in all three Grand Tours in a single year: Spain's Miguel Poblet did it in 1956, but Milan can follow in the footsteps of two compatriots. Pierino Baffi did it in 1958, and Alessandro Petacchi in 2003. The Italian super sprinter won no fewer than six times in the Giro, four times in the Tour, and five times in the Vuelta...

His 26-year-old compatriot still has a long way to go to match Petacchi, but the sprinter, who retired in 2015, had nothing but praise for Milan on the podium in Trento. He predicts a great future for himself, despite still having a lot to learn. “If Jonathan fixes a few things, he can become the best sprinter in the world,” Petacchi concludes.