'I'm a bit more relaxed' - Milan builds crucial buffer on Pogacar in green jersey fight

"I'm really happy and without words," said Milan after crossing the finish line. "I didn't survive alone. I survived always with the help of my teammates."

The Italian sprinter navigated a challenging stage 17 that featured a few difficult kickers and difficult weather conditions as the rain poured down in the final third of the stage. His Lidl-Trek teammates controlled the race from the beginning with Quinn Simmons a prominent figure on the front of the peloton.

Milan faced did, however, face difficulty on the early climbs but he received crucial support from teammates to be able to join the front group again. "They helped me when I dropped in the first climb and in the second one they really did a good pace," he explained.

Things turned ugly in the final kilometre as a horrible crash disrupted the sprint preparations of some rivals, including Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) who was slowed down by the incident and also Biniam Girmay (Intermarché - Wanty) who looked to be worst affected. Milan, unaware of the crash until after the finish, was perfectly positioned by his teammates for the final sprint.

"They delivered me in the best position. I was really focused for it," said Milan. "This is really a team victory. I have to thank them from the bottom of my heart."

With this win, Milan strengthens his grip on the green jersey, though he acknowledges the competition isn't over. "We still have some tough days awaiting us in the climbs, but for the moment we had a lot of fun," he said. 

The points classification remains competitive with Tadej Pogacar also in contention, as the Tour reaches an almighty conclusion in the Alps before a Montmartre detour on stage 21 in Paris. 

"Today we have a bit more distance with the points, so I'm a bit more relaxed," Milan said. "But I will keep fighting and trying to achieve as many points as I can."