photo credits @ UAE
After winning the opening stage, Jonathan Milan doubled his tally with a photo-finish victory in stage 4 of the UAE Tour today. The Lidl-Trek sprinter launched his sprint early and held off a late comeback from Belgian rivals Merlier and Philipsen, securing his third win of the season.
Today’s stage saw a chaotic finale, with the peloton splitting multiple times due to the fierce winds—though never catching Red Jersey wearer Tadej Pogačar off guard. The Slovenian remains firmly in control of the general classification, while the Green Jersey now belongs to Milan, and the Black Jersey is taken over by Dorde Duric.
“I thought I started my sprint a little too early, but in the end, my bike throw won me the race. And as always, I must thank my teammates; it is almost effortless with them to achieve such results. This gives confidence, of course,” said Milan.
Milan was perfectly positioned and excellently assisted in the echelons along the way. “Echelons make it all a lot more interesting. I love it, and it’s good to have already done one of these for the classics. It also creates some selection, with all the pain in the legs. You gain experience; we were always upfront and ready for what would come. We did that perfectly.”
Pogačar “enjoyed” being in the echelons
His two-stage victories naturally also put Milan at the top of the points classification. The jersey in the GC went to Pogačar after his stage victory on Jebel Jais. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates-XRG did everything possible to keep it in the crosswinds. “I like a bit of action when I’m upfront. We were always at the front as a team, so we enjoyed ourselves. It was a beautiful day.”
“I prefer to finish such a stage in a smaller group,” he added. “When it came together, we saw how hectic it was in the last kilometers. Being part of the echelons is also effective in terms of physical exertion. It serves as good preparation for what is to come.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.
