Jonathan Milan will have the privilege of racing on his home roads on May 30th during the 2026 Giro d’Italia, when the Corsa Rosa sets off from Gemona del Friuli in its mountainous conclusion towards Piancavallo. “It will be a day of remembrance,” notes the ‘Giant of Tolmezzo’ in an exclusive conversation with giroditalia.it, “because it marks the 50th anniversary of the earthquake.” To get there, however, “we will have to get through all the mountains, or almost.”
The great ‘azzurro’ champion from Lidl-Trek inaugurates his season this Tuesday, January 27th, competing in Saudi Arabia’s Alula Tour, the prelude to a wide spring campaign that will take the Friulian through two RCS Sport stageraces: the UAE Tour and Tirreno Adriatico. “I like going to UAE because there is a bit of everything: good weather, crosswinds, there is always a time trial, summit finishes… It gives you a good way to prepare before the classics.”
For Milan, the ‘Opening Weekend’ will likely follow—the Belgian classics Omloop Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in early March—before appearing in Lido di Camaiore for the ‘Race of the Two Seas’ which starts on March 9th. “From there, Milano-Sanremo,” where he will coincide with Mads Pedersen, “Ghent-Wevelgem, and Paris-Roubaix, before resting a bit and training at home. The two times I’ve been to the Giro, I’ve done it without altitude training; I prepared that way and it went well for me.”
We can attest that ‘Jonny’ has excelled especially with that preparation: in two appearances in the Giro d’Italia, he has won the Maglia Ciclamino twice and achieved four stage victories. The question is obvious: can that haul be improved? “Yes, it can always be improved. We will always go out to give our maximum and we aim to arrive in the best possible condition. I will also have a great team to support me and have a good Giro. There are good stages, good possibilities. It makes me happy to return to the Giro.”
A choice that comes after winning the other symbol for sprinters in the Grand Tours, a green jersey from the Tour that could be exchanged this year for none other than the Maglia Rosa, given the great opportunity for the fast men that the opening day of the Grande Partenza in Bulgaria, from Nessebar to Burgas, will provide them.
“Racing the Giro d’Italia is like racing every day on your home roads, and in this, I think I speak a bit for all the Italian guys. It is something special; I always define the Giro as ‘home’. Just as it is also special to start from another country.” A challenge that starts with the option of leading the general classification and will end in his homeland. Can you see Rome from the top of Piancavallo? “If the weather is good, you can see it; the Colosseum can definitely be seen,” he jokes, concluding with his charming smile.
