Jonathan Milan will move from Bahrain Victorious to Lidl-Trek next season after signing a contract that will keep him at the team until the end of 2026.
The Italian has enjoyed a breakout 2023 season on the road after showing his talents on the track, winning a stage of the Giro d’Italia and carrying the maglia ciclamino to Rome.
Milan arrives at Lidl-Trek after spending the first three years of his professional career at Bahrain Victorious. The Friuli native has also been a mainstay of the Italian track programme, and he won gold in the team pursuit alongside Filippo Ganna at the Tokyo Olympics.
His first wins on the road came at the tail end of last season, when he picked up a pair of victories at the CRO Tour in Croatia. He made a fast start to 2023 with a stage win at the Saudi Tour before landing victory in the first bunch sprint of the Giro in San Salvo.
“2023 was the turning point of my career, a few things changed. I started the season with the desire to give more consistency and continuity to my performances, to set myself ambitious goals. So far, I think I have succeeded,” Milan said when Lidl-Trek confirmed his signing.
The US-registered team is also expected to sign the 2020 Giro d'Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart. On Monday the team announced contract extensions for US national champion Quinn Simmons, Daan Hoole, Edward Theuns, Alex Kirsch and Otto Vergaerde.
The 2024 roster will also include Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose and Thibau Nys.
“The Giro d'Italia was the highest point and, in part, surprising. It was a learning experience, I learned how to manage effort and expectations, and I'm happy to have succeeded. I would love to be able to close the year with the same trend.”
Milan proceeded to finish second on four occasions at the Giro as he cemented his lead in the points classification.
This week, the 22-year-old has been in action at the Track World Championships in Glasgow, helping Italy to silver in the team pursuit before he took bronze in the individual pursuit.
“I have my feet firmly planted on the ground. My only goal now is simply to improve, to use every race, every experience to grow,” Milan said.
“I am aware that I have a lot to learn, that I can improve in every aspect of my performance, but the desire to invest in myself is not lacking. I will discover my limits of growth as I go along: I hope to prove right all those who are lavishing praise on me.”
Lidl-Trek manager Luca Guercilena said that his team had been tracking Milan’s progress for some time, noting that the Italian had “the potential to become one of the world's best cyclists.”
“Jonathan is a rider that we have followed for a long time, since way before this year’s Giro. His accomplishments at the Giro are a testament to his exceptional talent and gave a satisfying confirmation of his abilities,” said Guercilena.
