🌧️💥 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
- Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)
- Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
- Tobias Lund Andresen (Picnic PostNL)
- Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny)
- 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.
