Jonathan Milan has apologised to his Lidl-Trek teammates after missing out on another Giro d'Italia sprint on stage 18 into Pieve di Soligo.
The Italian came into his home Grand Tour as one of the favourites for the sprints, but is still winless with the race coming to an end on Sunday in Rome.
"The guys, they did an amazing job, and I have to say sorry to them because if I didn't achieve the results that we were looking for, and after a big effort like today, they will need just this," Milan told the media just past the finish line.
The 171km race from Fai della Paganella to Pieve di Soligo wasn't expected to be a sprint; instead, many thought it would favour a potential breakaway, given that it features several climbs in the later stages.
However, a breakaway of four was brought back into the fold in the closing kilometres, and a reduced field of roughly 60 riders ultimately made it over the top of the punishingly steep 1.1km Muro di Ca' del Poggio climb positioned 8km from the finish line.
"It was not an easy day. It could have been a big break, and it was not 100% a bunch sprint. We tried to control it from the beginning," Milan said. "We knew about the finish. I liked the stage and the course. We did good work; unfortunately, I wasn't able to put the cherry on the cake."
Milan was the first into the bottom of the Muro di Ca' del Poggio, and while there were several attacks from the general classification contenders, he managed to reconnect with the reduced field on the run-in to the finish.
The rain poured down as the peloton approached the final kilometre, and while rival sprinter Paul Magnier had his Soudal-QuickStep teammate Jasper Stuyven drop him off in perfect position to sprint, Milan remained slightly further back without teammates and on the fourth wheel into the final corner.
"I made a mistake on positioning myself on the second to last turn. I should have stayed on Magnier's wheel," he said. "I think that we did our best. It was my fault to take this last corner in fourth wheel. I should stay further up," he said.
In the end, he finished in third behind a faster Magnier, who claimed his third stage win at this Giro d'Italia, and runner-up Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious).
Milan is a four-time stage winner of the Giro d'Italia, taking a stage win in San Salvo in 2023 and three stage wins in Andora, Francavilla al Mare and Cento in 2024, and he secured the maglia ciclamino in both editions.
The pressure continues to build as the peloton reaches the final three stages: back-to-back summit finishes on stage 19 at Alleghe (Piani di Pezzè) and stage 20 at Piancavallo, and then one last chance for the sprinters in Rome.
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