'It gives me an adrenaline rush that pushes me to go further' - Jonathan Milan on his need for speed

For Jonathan Milan, Lidl-Trek’s sprint powerhouse, success starts with one simple thing: the pure enjoyment of speed.

"My first goal is to have fun, if you're not having fun you can't make it to the end of the season," Milan told MARCA during the EFGH Singapore Criterium organised by the Tour de France.

The Italian powerhouse demonstrated his raw power earlier at the event by destroying a state-of-the-art stationary bike in one of the organisers’ challenges, covering almost 800 meters in just 60 seconds while wearing regular sneakers.

"I'm a fan of anything fast," he explained. "I think speed is something I've always loved; I adore that feeling."

Milan, who won two stages at this year's Tour de France on his way to claiming the prestigious green jersey, appears almost addicted to the thrill of velocity.

"It's the adrenaline rush it gives you; it always pushes you to go a little further. I love it," said the Tolmezzo native, who has successfully channelled this passion into becoming one of cycling's premier sprinters.

Despite his impressive season, Milan is already looking toward improvements for next year. "Every time the season ends, I ask myself the same question: What can I improve? I'm lucky to have the team I work for. We're working on my position on the bike; it won't be anything drastic, but there will be some small adjustments."

His approach to cycling mirrors that of a Formula 1 driver, always chasing those marginal gains that can make the difference between victory and defeat in a sprint finish. That parallel isn’t coincidental: Milan is a motorsport enthusiast himself. "I was with Pirelli (the team's sponsor) at a Grand Prix, and it was amazing. I really enjoyed watching the riders and mechanics work; it was incredible."

As the cycling season winds down, Milan is enjoying his time in Asia where he's gained considerable popularity, regularly signing autographs for fans while proudly wearing his green jersey.

Looking ahead to 2026, the sprint specialist has clear objectives. "This year we pulled off a major upset in France. Now we have to work on next season's calendar with the goal of winning and having fun."

An interesting conundrum for Lidl-Trek heading into 2026, is how they fit Mads Pedersen and Jonathan Milan into a potential Tour team “It’s no secret that the green jersey [in the Tour de France] is also a goal for Mads,” Lidl-Trek DS Andersen told Feltet. “But he’s got a few more years of experience than Milan. Still, they can’t ride together if Mads is also going for the green jersey,”

Also, with the addition of star GC talent, Juan Aysuo, it is an almost forgone conclusion that both Pedersen and Milan will not be in the Tour squad come 2026.