Furlan Ends Italy’s Long Wait for a Tour Stage Win

🇮🇹 Jonathan Milan wins in Laval!

🇮🇹 Jonathan Milan l'emporte au sprint !

👋 @Continental_fr l #TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/55DlsnZAD4

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 12, 2025

Since Vincenzo Nibali’s triumph in Val Thorens during Stage 20 of the 2019 Tour de France, Italian riders had been waiting for another stage victory in cycling’s biggest race. That drought has now been ended by Jonathan Milan, the rider from Friuli who often trains on Slovenian roads and also sharpens his form on the velodrome in Novo Mesto.

“Bull from Buja” Takes the Green Jersey

On the slight uphill finish in Laval, Milan, with the help of Lidl Trek’s perfectly organized sprint train, justified his status as the top favorite. With this win, the stand-in green jersey wearer also took the official lead in the points classification, a jersey previously held by Tadej Pogačar.

“I can hardly comprehend what I have achieved. I came to the Tour with high expectations, but it’s one thing to have expectations and another to fulfill them. We remained confident as a team. We were just a bit short in Stage 3 but stayed focused. The team believed in me and did an excellent job in the finale. I didn’t expect such a tough last kilometer, but I stayed patient and waited long before launching my sprint. Now I just want to rest well and repeat this on Sunday,” said the 24-year-old sprinter from near Udine.

Milan hails from the town of Buja, the first Friulian settlement at the foot of Venetian Slovenia, earning him the nickname “Bull from Buja.” Coming from track cycling, he was part of Italy’s Olympic gold-winning team pursuit squad in 2021 and claimed bronze in the same discipline at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Van Aert Close to Stage Glory

Surprisingly, after the racing in the first week, Milan’s main rival was Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike), who managed to sneak into position and contest the sprint, ultimately finishing just a bike length behind. Kaden Groves finished third, stepping up as Alpecin-Deceuninck’s lead sprinter after Jasper Philipsen’s injury. Even with the help of Mathieu van der Poel, Groves could not challenge for the win.

A Lone Break by the Invited Team

The intermediate sprint of Stage 8 took place in Vitré, where Milan surprised last year’s points classification winner Biniam Girmay and European champion Tim Merlier with a long and powerful sprint on a slight incline.

Only after the intermediate sprint did a breakaway form, as Matteo Vercher and Mathieu Burgaudeau of the wildcard team TotalEnergies tried their luck. They were caught 10 km from the finish line.