Milan targets first maglia rosa in Giro d'Italia opener - 'We can dream, but we'll see...'

Having won four stages and the points classification twice across 2023 and 2024, Jonathan Milan opted to race the Tour de France last season, and it proved to be a fruitful decision as he won two stages and the points classification. 

Returning to the Giro, Milan has outlined his ambition to win the opening stage that finishes in Burgas, Bulgaria, and claim the maglia rosa for the first time in his career. 

"It's a really nice opportunity and possibility", Milan told reporters, including Cyclingnews. "We have to try our best to take the best result possible.”

“I'm a little more motivated too, because this jersey has the name of my region on it, [Friuli Venezia-Giulia], so that gives me an extra push. It will be important."

Milan knows he will face stiff competition in his quest to become the first Italian to win the opening stage of the Giro since Filippo Ganna in 2021, though that was an individual time trial. 

Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) hunts his first Grand Tour stage win, while Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets), a six-time Tour stage winner, heads the Unibet Rose Rockets, who will be aiming to make history on their Grand Tour debut. 

"I think [Paul] Magnier and also Dylan [Groenewegen] will be two of the contenders. I'm expecting Magnier to go for it in quite a few stages."

Meanwhile, Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) is another opponent that Milan will be conscious of, with the Dane beating the Italian in a sprint at Tirreno-Adriatico back in March. 

"For sure he's [Lund Andresen] shown a lot in Tirreno-Adriatico, and he's got a great lead-out train, so for sure he'll be one of the guys up there on Friday, too."

Milan has plenty of victories under his belt in 2026, with six in total and four at the WorldTour level across the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico. Ultimately, nothing is a given, but the Italian’s shape gives him confidence in extending his impressive record at the Giro and also his ability to win the points classification for the third time.  

"It's never easy. We can dream about it [maglia rosa], but at the end of the day, we'll see,” said Milan. “For sure, yes, we'll have to take it [maglia ciclamino] on a day-by-day basis, but it's definitely a goal.”

Only five riders have won the points classification at the Giro on three or more occasions: Giuseppe Saronni and Francesco Moser (4), Johan van der Velde, Roger De Vlaeminck and Mario Cipollini (3). Could Milan join this exclusive club in Rome come May 31?