🌧️💥 Stage 17: Milan Muscles Through Mayhem to Win Rain-Drenched Sprint

🏁 Jonathan Milan Doubles Up as Sprint Chaos Reigns in Stage 17

Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan conquered the slick chaos of Stage 17 to notch his second Tour de France 2025 stage victory, surviving a crash-stained final kilometre and unleashing a monster sprint that no rival could match.

🏆 Top 5 Finish – Stage 17

1. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
2. Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
3. Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic PostNL)
4. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny)
5. Davide Ballerini (XDS Astana)

See all standings after stage 17

🚨 A Crash, A Catch, and a Comeback

The final kilometres saw Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) solo clear into the sprint zone after attacking with 12 km to go. It was gutsy, but he was caught with 4 km left as the peloton ramped up through driving rain.

With 1 km to go, the front of the race disintegrated:

• Tim Merlier was forced to stop.
• Biniam Girmay, green jersey contender, was caught in the fallout.
• Several other sprinters saw their hopes vanish in an instant.

Yet, Jonathan Milan held his line, kept his calm, and capitalized when it counted most.

🌧️ Conditions: Slippery & Ruthless

• Rain turned the sprint zone into a minefield.
• Multiple riders slid out or were caught in near-misses.
• Only the strongest, or luckiest, made it to the final 500m intact.

“The peloton shrunk rapidly in those final 10km,” one team director noted. “Not because of speed — because of survival.”

⚔️ Tactical Note: Lidl-Trek’s Precision Train

Lidl-Trek executed flawlessly, avoiding chaos and delivering Milan to the ideal position despite the carnage. It’s a reminder that winning sprints is not just speed — it’s survival, precision, and luck.

🟢 Green Jersey Situation: Girmay Loses Momentum?

After multiple days defending the points jersey, Biniam Girmay’s Stage 17 tangle might open a window for Jonathan Milan or even Jordi Meeus to gain points. Expect tension heading into Stage 18.

🧠 Final Word

Stage 17 wasn’t just a sprint stage — it was a battlefield dressed as a city finish. Wet roads, last-minute attacks, and dramatic crashes turned it into a lottery… but Jonathan Milan brought both legs and luck.