Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 Stage 2 recap – Jonathan Milan powers to emphatic sprint win, Filippo Ganna stays in blue

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) notched the twentieth win of his career in style with a powerful sprint in Follonica to take the spoils in Stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico.

The rangy Italian benefited from a textbook leadout from his Lidl-Trek train, swooping out of the decisive final corner from the wheel of team-mate Simone Consonni before as he launched his emphatic dash to the line.

No one could match the 24-year-old Milan for power on the home straight, with Dutchman Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Frenchman Paul Penhoet (Groupama-FDJ) a distant second and third. Dutchman Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) took fourth place ahead of Consonni while Ireland’s Sam Bennett (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) had to settle for sixth.

Italy’s Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) retained the blue jersey off the back of his opening day time trial victory on Monday, with Milan rising to second place at 19 seconds – three seconds ahead of Spain’s Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates).

The 192km stage from Camaiore was animated with an early attack by Italy’s Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane). The breakaway specialist built up a maximum lead of five minutes but was caught shortly after the intermediate sprint at the 110km mark after Team Polti-Visit Malta duo Davide Bais and Alessandro Tonelli bridged over ahead of the only categorised climb of the day.

Bais zipped clear to take maximum points over the summit of climb to Canneto and secure the green jersey. Just as the Italian trio was being reined in with 40km to go, a crash in the feedzone saw half a dozen riders hit the deck and resulted in the withdrawal of French GC hope David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ).

Another crash with just over 10km remaining dashed the hopes of Dutch champion Dylan Groenewegen of Jayco-AlUla. Groenewegen managed to regain touch with the peloton ahead of the finish but was never going to stop mighty Milan’s march to victory.

Ninth in last year’s finish at Follonica, Milan heaped praise on his team-mates after snaring his fourth win of the season and taking over the maglia ciclamino.

"Last year was the first time, we saw it how it was, and I didn’t forget how to do the sprint," Milan said. "We bring the experience from last year and put it today – and I have to say the guys were guiding me and leading me in the perfect way, just as we planned it. I’m super happy and proud of all my team-mates."

The 60th edition of Tirreno-Adriatico continues on Wednesday with a long 240km Stage 3 that features two catagorised climbs and a long uphill drag towards the finish at Colfiorito, where a reduced sprint could suit the likes of Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility).

Feast on that textbook leadout from Lidl-Trek, who delivered their man to glory in Stage 2.

Jonathan Milan – who came ninth in this stage last year when it first appeared in Tirreno-Adriatico – spoke to reporters after his 20th career win:

"Last year was the first time, we saw it how it was, and I didn’t forget how to do the sprint. We bring the experience from last year and put it today – and I have to say the guys were guiding and leading me in the perfect way, just as we planned it. I’m super happy and proud of all my team-mates."

1. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
2. Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling)
3. Paul Penhoet (Groupama-FDJ)
4. Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike)
5. Simone Consonni (Lidl-Trek)
6. Sam Bennett (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
7. Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech)
8. Tim Van Dijke (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
9. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis)
10. Enrico Zanoncello (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane)

Dutchman Maikel Zijlaard (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Frenchman Paul Penhoet (Groupama-FDJ) came a distant second and third behind Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek). Dutchman Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) can only take fourth place while Simone Consonni rode to fifth after leading out Milan. Sam Bennett (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) settles for sixth.

It’s a textbook lead-out by Lidl-Trek with Simone Consonni leading Jonathan Milan out around the final corner. Milan then launches his sprint and no one comes close to matching him for speed.

The peloton split in two either side of a central division on a bridge across a river. When they came back together it was Soudal Quick-Step in control with three men pacing Paul Magnier. But then Lidl-Trek hit the front as they pass under the flamme rouge… Here we go!

The Dutchman latches back onto the back of the peloton but still has so much ground to make up if he wants to make his way to the front before the final sprint. Lidl-Trek are bossing it with five riders, including Milan, while Uno-X have three including Magnus Cort, who is working for Soren Waersenskjold.

The Dutch champion is still 30 seconds back and it will be surprising to see him feature in the sprint. Decathlon, meanwhile, mass on the front for their man Sam Bennett. Visma are there for Kooij and Lidl-Trek for Milan, who is not in the cyclamino skinsuit as I first thought (that’s Johan Price-Pejtersen).

It’s the Dutch sprinter from Jayco-AlUla who crosses wheels with the rider in front of him and goes down on his left side in the middle of the pack. A few riders are unable to avoid his sprawling body, including Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost) who goes right over his handlebars and lands on his back. The Dane comes off the worse and is receiving treatment while the others all get back on their way. But that will surely take Groenewegen out of the equation for the sprint…

They’re working to protect their leaders Pello Bilbao and Jai Hindley. Earlier, Michal Kwiatkowski of Ineos Grenadiers was very much on the nose, perhaps trying his luck as he strung out the pack along the coastal road.

The peloton passes through the finish line and the bell sounds out ahead of this final lap in Follonica. They’re all together in one pack right now with Ineos Grenadiers coming to the front to ride for their man in blue, Filippo Ganna. Jonathan Milan, meanwhile, is near the back of the pack in his cyclamino skinsuit – but we can surely expect him to be in the mix in 20-minutes’ time.

The Briton – who is almost back into the peloton – is the youngest rider in this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico. He is also half the age of the oldest rider, Jakob Fuglsang. I mentioned his very un-British name in the last post – and here’s an explanation from Team Picnic PostNL’s website:

"With an interesting international name for a young guy from Yorkshire, you might be wondering where it comes from… his dad is half-Swedish and half-German. It’s no surprise then that the talkative and personable Bjoern also can talk in multiple languages too as he takes after his father, being able to speak and understand German to a good level."

The tension has ramped up – as has the pace – as the peloton start the finish circuit in Follonica. There’s a mechanical for Bjoern Koerdt (Team Picnic PostNL) – the most Belgian/Dutch-sounding British rider I can think of. It’s the 20-year-old’s maiden season in the WorldTour and he managed to stay upright there after picking up a flat tyre ahead of a roundabout.

And it's curtains for the Frenchman, who is back in his Groupama-FDJ team car after that crash. It remains to be seen what the issue is - his elbow was badly cut and he may have broken a bone - but we will have to wait and see how that affects Gaudu's season. He was meant to be riding the Giro this May...

The leading trio, meanwhile, were caught with 39km to go and so the peloton rides as one towards the final circuit in Follonica.

The Frenchman’s team-mate Valentin Madouas also went down, as well as Jan Maas (Cofidis), Kamiel Bonneu (Intermarche-Wanty) and Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quick-Step). Here's what happened...

Just as the peloton closes in on the leaders, there’s a crash in the pack as it passes through a feedzone. Around a dozen riders are involved and it notably does not look good for David Gaudu of Groupama-FDJ. He’s slumped on the ride of the road on a grass verge, shaking his head as he receives attention.

It’s the Lidl-Trek and Visma-Lease a Bike teams of Jonathan Milan and Olav Kooij who set the tempo on the front of the pack. They have the advantage of leading trio – Davide Bais and Alessandro Tonelli (Polti-Visit Malta) and Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane) – down to just 30 seconds ahead of the business end of this stage.

In particular, it’s Milan’s Eritrean team-mate Amanuel Ghebreigzaghier who is doing the lion’s share of the work on the nose, taking it in turns with Steven Kruijswijk of Visma.

... on this descent, which plays out on twisting roads where the road surface at times leaves a lot to be desired. The gap is down to 55 seconds for the three leaders, so it's a question of when, not if, they will be caught.

It’s the one one-two for Polti with Tonelli putting in the first big dig around 1km from the summit. He opens up a gap and Tarozzi is forced to close it with Bais sandbagging his back wheel. It comes back together before Bais puts in the inevitable counterpunch. And it’s part two of a move for which Tarozzi has no answer. Job well done for Polti-VisitMalta. They used their numerical advantage and fresher legs take both first and second place over the top, with Tarozzi down in third.

That means Davide Bais will be in the green KoM jersey tomorrow. He has 5pts, Tonelli 3pts, Tarozzi 2pts and Steven Kruijswijk, who led the peloton over the top, on 1pt.