Jonathan Milan, 22, Olympic champion on the track, claimed his first victory at the Giro d’Italia on the second day of his Grand Tour debut. It was a highly expected bunch gallop in San Salvo. The Italian from Friuli won by a large margin over the other sprinters, some of them having been caught in a crash 3.8km before the end. Remco Evenepoel stayed safe and brought his first Maglia Rosa home.
Speaking in the press conference, the stage winner Jonathan Milan said: “My team-mates have done a great job. They kept telling me to stay quiet and they put me in the first positions, so I could do my own sprint. I’m super happy. When I crossed the line, I was under shock. I’ve firstly thought of the crashes I had before, the fatigue, the hard times. I’ve also thought of my family who was watching. This victory means a lot to them. I never thought I’d win a stage of the Giro but I knew I was ready and keen to put myself in the mix.”
The Maglia Rosa Remco Evenepoel said:“I could realise that everyone in Italy knows the colour of the jersey I wear now. I was next to the crash, behind Davide Ballerini. They crashed on the right side because there was no more space. It’s a pity that it happened. I wanted to stay in the front until 3km to go, after that I didn’t want to interrupt the plan of the sprinters, it’s a question of respect between sprinters and GC riders. Before the crash, it was probably the easiest stage of this Giro.”
