'I saw him with a single chainring', Milan reveals how he read Ganna's attack before Lidl-Trek shut it down in Rome

'I saw him with a single chainring', Milan reveals how he read Ganna's attack before Lidl-Trek shut it down in Rome

Jonathan Milan spotted Filippo Ganna's unusual setup early on the final stage and Lidl-Trek had a plan ready, with Matteo Sobrero positioned to cover the move without burning their sprint train.

By Tim Bonville-Ginn · · 4 min read

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) won stage 21 of the Giro d'Italia in Rome on Sunday after his team neutralised a late attack from Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos) without dismantling the sprint train that delivered their man to the line.

The key, he argued, was preparation: Milan had already identified the threat, and Lidl-Trek had Matteo Sobrero positioned up front to follow the move the moment it came.

Ganna attacked with around 18km remaining on the finishing circuits in the Italian capital. Milan, speaking after the stage to Cycling Pro Net , said he had been watching for exactly that. "I was kind of expecting something from Pippo maybe," he said. "I saw him in the beginning of the stage with a single chainring in the front and I say, it's not the usual."

A single front chainring, a setup riders typically choose for specific high-speed efforts, was enough of a visual cue for Milan to flag the danger, even if he did not know Ganna's precise plan. Even without that, it was a pretty good bet that Ganna would go on the attack with little for Netcompany-Ineos to really go for in the stage at the sprint.

Results

Rome • May 31

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Jonathan Milan
LIDL-TREK3:05:50
🥈
Giovanni Lonardi
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00
🥉
Paul Penhoet
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+0:00
4
Dylan Groenewegen
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+0:00
5
Madis Mihkels
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+0:00
6
Jensen Plowright
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+0:00
7
Tobias Lund Andresen
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:00
8
Corbin John Strong
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:00
9
Toon Aerts
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:00
10
Luca Mozzato
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
11
Paul Magnier
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:00
12
Matteo Malucelli
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:00
13
Sakarias Koller Løland
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:00
14
Edoardo Zambanini
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:00
15
Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:00
16
Alec Segaert
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:00
17
Martin Marcellusi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
18
Ivan Garcia Cortina
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:00
19
Robert Donaldson
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:00
20
Guillermo Thomas Silva Coussan
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:00
21
Casper Cornelis van Uden
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+0:00
22
António Tomas Morgado
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+0:00
23
David Gonzalez Lopez
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
24
Mick van Dijke
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:00
25
Arjen Livyns
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:00
26
Magnus Sheffield
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
27
Filippo Magli
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
28
Mathys Rondel
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
29
Robert Stannard
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:00
30
Lorenzo Rota
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:00
31
Fran Miholjević
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:00
32
Tobias Bayer
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+0:00
33
Jai Hindley
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:00
34
Felix Gall
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:00
35
Gregor Mühlberger
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:00
36
Jan Hirt
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:00
37
Thymen Arensman
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
38
Lawrence Warbasse
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
39
Michael Storer
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
40
Egan Arley Bernal Gomez
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
41
Cyril Barthe
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+0:00
42
Lorenzo Milesi
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:00
43
Robin Froidevaux
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
44
Maximilian Richard Walscheid
LIDL-TREK+0:00
45
Ryan William Mullen
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:00
46
Diego Pablo Sevilla Lopez
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00
47
Johan Price Pejtersen
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+0:00
48
Giulio Ciccone
LIDL-TREK+0:00
49
Derek Gee
LIDL-TREK+0:00
50
Ben Turner
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
51
Damiano Caruso
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:00
52
David de la Cruz Melgarejo
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
53
Fabio van den Bossche
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:00
54
Afonso Eulálio
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:00
55
Luca Paletti
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
56
Ben Alexander O'Connor
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:00
57
Florian Stork
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
58
Jonas Rutsch
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:00
59
Harold Martin Lopez Granizo
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:00
60
Koen Bouwman
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:00
61
William Barta
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
62
Christopher Harper
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
63
Giovanni Aleotti
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:00
64
Markus Hoelgaard
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:00
65
Gianni Moscon
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:00
66
Jonas Geens
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+0:00
67
Johannes Kulset
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:00
68
Ludovico Crescioli
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00
69
Jan Christen
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+0:00
70
Fabian Lienhard
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
71
Alberto Bettiol
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:00
72
Enric Mas Nicolau
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:00
73
Elmar Reinders
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+0:00
74
Embret Svestad-Bårdseng
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
75
Aleksandr Vlasov
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:00
76
Mathijs Paasschens
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:00
77
Mark Jamie Donovan
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
78
Mirco Maestri
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00
79
Johannes Staune-Mittet
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:00
80
Dries van Gestel
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:00
81
Rasmus Pedersen
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:00
82
Francesco Busatto
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+0:00
83
Jefferson Cepeda Ortiz
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+0:00
84
Igor Arrieta Lizarraga
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+0:00
85
Axel Huens
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+0:00
86
Vicente Rojas Naranjo
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
87
Nelson Oliveira
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:00
88
Dion Allan Smith
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:00
89
Andréa Mifsud
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00
90
Nicholas Schultz
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:00
91
Wouter Poels
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+0:00
92
Einer Augusto Rubio Reyes
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:00
93
Gijs Leemreize
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+0:00
94
Simone Gualdi
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:00
95
Nikita Tsvetkov
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
96
Gianmarco Garofoli
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:00
97
Mikkel Norsgaard Bjerg
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+0:00
98
Jack Leonard Haig
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
99
Connor Swift
NETCOMPANY INEOS+0:00
100
Jasper Stuyven
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:00
101
Davide Piganzoli
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
102
Bart Lemmen
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
103
Tim Rex
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
104
Jonas Vingegaard Hansen
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
105
Timo Kielich
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
106
Victor Campenaerts
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
107
Sepp Kuss
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:00
108
Alessandro Tonelli
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+0:00
109
Manuele Tarozzi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+0:00
110
Tord Gudmestad
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:00
111
Darren Rafferty
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+0:00
112
Andreas Leknessund
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:00
113
Alessandro Pinarello
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:47
114
Oliver Naesen
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:47
115
Tim Naberman
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+0:47
116
Andrea Raccagni Noviero
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:47
117
Frank van den Broek
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+0:47
118
Matyáš Kopecký
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+0:57
119
Hartthijs de Vries
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+0:57
120
Tim Torn Teutenberg
LIDL-TREK+0:57
121
Christopher Hamilton
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+1:04
122
Simone Consonni
LIDL-TREK+1:04
123
Matteo Sobrero
LIDL-TREK+1:04
124
Alan Hatherly
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+1:04
125
Nico Denz
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+1:23
126
Ben Zwiehoff
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+1:23
127
Filippo Turconi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+1:23
128
Mattia Bais
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+1:23
129
Giulio Pellizzari
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+1:23
130
Juan Pedro Lopez Perez
MOVISTAR TEAM+1:23
131
Thomas Pesenti
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+1:23
132
Fredrik Dversnes
UNO-X MOBILITY+1:42
133
Diego Ulissi
XDS ASTANA TEAM+1:56
134
Ayco Bastiaens
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+1:56
135
Filippo Zana
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+1:56
136
Christopher Jensen
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+1:56
137
Filippo Ganna
NETCOMPANY INEOS+1:56
138
Markel Beloki Fernandez
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+1:56
139
Jardi Christiaan van der Lee
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+1:56
140
Rémi Cavagna
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+2:34
141
Brieuc Rolland
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+2:34
142
Lukáš Kubiš
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+2:39
143
Joshua Kench
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+2:39
144
Johan Jacobs
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+2:39
145
Callum Scotson
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+2:52
146
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier
LIDL-TREK+2:57
147
Warren Barguil
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+3:09
148
Rémy Rochas
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+3:09
149
Tomas Kopecký
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+3:09
150
Luca Vergallito
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+4:41
151
Niklas Larsen
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+4:54

How Lidl-Trek kept Milan fresh for the sprint

Lidl-Trek knew attacks would come in the finale and so had Sobrero cover moves. When Ganna went the former Italian TT champion and good friend of Ganna had already been in a move involving two more TT stars in Victor Campenaerts (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Remi Cavagna (Groupama-FDJ United), but he sat on the move. When it was caught with just under two laps to go, Sobrero had to react again with Ganna launching hard. Jasper Stuyven (Soudal-Quickstep) did the same as a tactical move for Paul Magnier.

"Luckily we were having Sobrero in the front to cover these attacks," Milan said. "So we didn't have to pull in the back to lose other guys to bring back people."

Ganna spoke to reporters after the stage saying that "I wanted to do something but nothing is easy." and revealed that Sobrero spoke to him after the stage.

"He was happy with the final." He said. "He tried to do the best for Lidl-Trek and Jonathan Milan and he was in a situation that was not super comfy for him. But in the end we find a good compromise with a good bottle of wine."

Sprint teams that spend riders chasing down breakaway moves often arrive at the final kilometre short-handed, with gaps in the train their sprinter needs for positioning. Because Sobrero sat on the attack rather than letting it ride, Lidl-Trek could keep their remaining riders around Milan in the bunch, preserving the formation that would guide him through the finale. When the sprint teams eventually brought the move back, Milan still had the bodies around him to contest the sprint at full strength.

"I think the guys did also a super good job in the final," Milan said. "It was a really big team effort today. I'm really happy to pay them back with this victory."

The win capped a Giro that had tested Milan's patience. No stage victory before the finale stage was an odd situation for the big Italian after repeated near-misses throughout the race including a third place behind Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) and Edoardo Zambanini on stage 18. Magnier dominated the sprint stages and took the points classification, the first time Milan has finished a Grand Tour without winning that jersey.

Milan described the race as "really, really long" but said the team's ability to reset after each disappointment carried them through. "I'm really happy that we always keep fighting, keep believing in it until the last stage," he said. "Our power was also to turn the page and keep focusing on the new goals that we were having."

The closing stage in Rome was the most prestigious sprint opportunity of the Giro, and Lidl-Trek's reading of Ganna's intentions made sure Milan arrived at the line with the tools to take it.

Cover image credit: RCS/Massimo Paolone/Lapresse

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Tim Bonville-Ginn

Pro cycling contributor

Tim Bonville-Ginn is a freelance writer who has worked in cycling for well over a decade with his articles being featured across publications such as Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Cyclist, Rouleur, Eurosport, Road cc, Domestique, and more.

As well as writing, Tim has worked as a social media and press manager for professional teams Human Powered Health, Global 6, and Saint Piran across Europe as well as commentating on races such as the African Continental Championships, Tour de Feminin and multiple rounds of the British road and circuit series for Golazo and Monument Cycling.

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