CROATIA. Osjek-Ludberg, first stage of the Tour of Croatia. Twenty-seven September 2022, a date he will never forget Jonathan Milan, who won the first stage of the Tour of Croatia with an hourly average of 43,500 after 235 km run in the rain, a short stage race that will end on Sunday and that sees the tapes starting also the winner of the Tour de France Vingegard and other big names like Geraint Thomas, who came within a minute of the big ones.
It is the first victory of a professional road career for the Bahrain rider Victorious who will turn 22 on Saturday.
Teammate Matej Mohoric had tried to anticipate the group in the rain, the champion from Buja, Olympic and world champion in team pursuit and vice-world champion, who had suffered but held up well on the roughness of the day, protected him properly. Then, with an incredible progression transformed into a sprint, smelling that there would be no escape for the fugitive, he broke the delay by clearly beating Sacha Modolo (Bardiani) and Mirco Maestri (Eolo Kometa).
Disbelief mixed with emotion for Jonathan, who shortly after the finish found his father Flavio, already an excellent amateur in the nineties, celebrating with him beyond the barriers.
Jonathan is obviously also the leader of the race, with a 4 second advantage over Modolo. And today in Zadar I arrive in the sprint with Jonathan – on Saturday he will turn 22 – the expected protagonist.