Cyclingflash
Jonathan Milan sprints to stage win after thrilling finale at UAE Tour

Jonathan Milan sprints to stage win after thrilling finale at UAE Tour

Jonathan Milan took the win in the fourth stage of the UAE Tour. After the breakaway was caught at the last moment, the Italian proved the fastest in a bunch sprint. He beat Ethan Vernon and his younger brother Matteo Milan, who rides for Groupama FDJ-United.

The addition of Jebel Mobrah isn’t the only course change implemented by the UAE Tour organizers. Stage four was also different from usual. Normally, sprinters get a 100% chance the day after the first mountain stage, but this time, a fairly challenging stage was designed. Although no categorized climbs were on the menu, the route featured constant rolling terrain throughout the day.

Breakaway with several strong riders
Unlike yesterday, there was plenty of willingness to attack early on Thursday. Baptiste Veistroffer, Piertro Mattio, and Florian Sénéchal were the first to launch moves, but they gained no significant gap. Tobias Steinhauser, Stefan De Bod, Lorenzo Milesi, Patrick Gamper, and James Knox had more 'luck' and managed to build a solid advantage.

The peloton, led by Lidl-Trek, trailed by over two minutes after fifty kilometers. Jonathan Milan’s teammates—the big favorite for the stage win—didn’t let the gap extend further. The main reason: with De Bod, Milesi, Steinhauser, and Gamper in the break, there were several strong riders at the front, so the sprinters’ teams were on alert.

Breakaway riders don’t give up easily
Despite the limited lead and many flat kilometers ahead, the four (Knox had by then been dropped) held on impressively. At the start of the last thirty kilometers, Lidl-Trek still had to close a two-minute gap. NSN Cycling also grew concerned and put George Bennett on the front of the peloton, working for the fast Brit Ethan Vernon.

The Swiss team was not the only outfit taking action: Soudal Quick-Step and Bahrain Victorious also contributed. This spelled very bad news for the breakaway, as the peloton was now rapidly closing in. With just under thirty kilometers remaining, the peloton was suddenly jolted by a crash.

Crash involving Jakobsen and Ghys
The four riders involved were Fabio Jakobsen, Robbe Ghys, Daan Hoole, and Ethan Hayter. Hoole was the first to get back on his bike, followed by Jakobsen and Hayter, although the Dutchman and Brit were visibly shaken. Ghys was unable to remount. The Belgian from Decathlon CMA CGM stayed on the ground for a long time and was taken to the hospital by ambulance, reportedly with a broken collarbone.

The peloton, meanwhile, kept up a relentless pace, which was necessary because the four remaining breakaway riders defended their advantage fiercely. With ten kilometers to go, the gap was still almost half a minute. In the following kilometers they barely lost any time and crossed the red banner with about ten seconds to spare. Could they hold on?

Milan, Vernon, and... Milan
No, because in the last three hundred meters the vanguard of the peloton came charging through, including top favorite Jonathan Milan. The 25-year-old powerhouse from Lidl-Trek launched his sprint from far out but didn’t fade. He held off Ethan Vernon and Matteo... Milan. Jonathan’s 23-year-old younger brother took third place.