Matteo Milan could hardly have imagined a better outcome for his first bunch sprint with the Groupama-FDJ United cycling team — especially at WorldTour level. Absent from the slight uphill finish on the opening day, the young Italian made sure to seize the opportunity offered this Thursday at the UAE Tour, at the end of a thrilling stage. Perfectly positioned by his teammates, the Italian recruit powered his way to a superb third place in Fujairah, where his brother Jonathan took the win. A first podium “among the big boys” that certainly bodes well for the future.
After three days of hard racing, the pure sprinters were finally expected to have their say at the UAE Tour this Thursday. Despite a slightly undulating course, the profile of stage four seemed to favor a bunch finish, though breakaway riders had to be watched carefully. “We knew it could be a fast start, and there was always a chance a breakaway could go far,” explained Jussi Veikkanen. “We were quite active with Enzo and Rémi, even David, but in the end a group of five riders got away without us.” The French time-trialist still tried to bridge across alone after fifteen kilometres, but without success. From then on, the peloton worked to keep the break within three minutes, yet the very fast final proved more exciting than expected. The sprint teams indeed had to double their efforts over the last thirty kilometres. “The breakaway riders held on well and almost made it,” Jussi added. Under the flamme rouge, they still had a few seconds’ advantage while the lead-out trains were already in action, including that of Groupama-FDJ United.
“This podium means a lot,” Matteo Milan
“The instruction was not to panic and to stay around Axel and Matteo,” Jussi continued. “Axel was the driving force and led the team in the closing ten kilometers. We stayed quite calm in the final, knowing the roads were wide, with the aim of moving up at the last moment. Lewis started the lead-out, then Rémi and Enzo brought Axel and Matteo into the final.” The French lead-out man then took over until 250 metres from the line — at the very moment the morning breakaway was caught by the front of the bunch. Perfectly positioned on the wheel of his brother Jonathan, Matteo Milan was able to fully unleash his sprint and secure a superb third place at the finish. “It was a first test to see if I was at the right level,” said the young Italian. “This podium therefore means a lot to me. It proves that I’m in good shape and that I can compete with the best. The team was incredible and I’m really proud of them. I told them we have the potential to fight with — and even beat — the other contenders. We were close, and we’ll see what the next few days bring.”
Thanks to Matteo Milan’s first WorldTour podium, the Groupama-FDJ United squad also secured its second top-three finish at this year’s UAE Tour. “It’s a very good day because there was real commitment around Matteo,” Jussi emphasized. “It was his first WorldTour race, and it’s always great to see a young rider fighting for a stage win, especially after such strong teamwork. We’ll try to keep the same momentum and go for another sprint tomorrow.”
