Primal Milan praises Stuyven and company: "That's what makes it so special"

The eleventh stage of the Giro was claimed by Jonathan Milan after a blistering fast finale on Wednesday. The exceptionally strong Italian skillfully secured the victory on the Adriatic coast, marking his second win of this Giro and strengthening his hold on the purple points jersey.

In the final straight, there was a headwind, making the timing of the sprint crucial for all the sprinters' teams. Milan adeptly followed the lead-out train of his major rival, Tim Merlier and his lead-out man Bert Van Lerberghe, and then impressively sealed the deal with a long sprint in this eleventh stage of the Giro d'Italia.

"It's not about those twenty seconds we're sprinting," the radiant winner began somewhat philosophically in his flash interview. "It's really about the work we all did in the run-up to this victory, that's what's crucial. That's what makes our team a real team, it feels incredible. They always believe in me and I have to thank them from the bottom of my heart," said the true-blooded Italian.

"I'm just happy... that they come into my arms happy after the finish line, it makes me happy," Milan said, who responded to questions about the chaos this sprint stage caused. "It's always hard to predict how a sprint will unfold and where everyone will end up in such a sprint. We tried to handle it well, but I found it to be quite a tricky finale with those corners and the last long, straight stretch."

"Eventually, I found myself in Merlier’s wheel, which was perfect for me. Tim started his sprint quite early and strong, but I was able to take over from him. That felt good," said the jersey wearer. "It's special to win in this jersey, but the most important thing is to continue developing. I do that by learning from my mistakes, together with my team."

Hoole and Theuns proud of team leader Milan

Daan Hoole is one of Lidl-Trek's workhorses. The Dutchman appeared on camera at Eurosport. "I positioned myself at the front early on to keep the guys out of trouble heading into the finale. At the four-kilometer mark, Jasper Stuyven took over and they executed it perfectly. Johny is so strong in such finishes."

"We came to this Giro with the focus on sprints," he continued. "With Johny, we obviously had a good contender for these stages and the purple points jersey, so it's great that it's all working out. How are we going to celebrate? With some champagne, we're going to enjoy it," he concluded.

Belgian teammate Edward Theuns is also part of the lead-out train. "It was incredibly hectic and I couldn't really do much. Johny passed me in Merlier’s slipstream and I tried to cover that move, so the thanks should go to the rest of the team. We stayed calm and led from the front all day with Amanuel. He is really a beast," he praised the breakaway killer.