Jonathan Milan Wins Second Tour de France Stage in Crash-Marred Sprint

Jonathan Milan secured his second stage win of the 2025 Tour de France in a chaotic sprint finish on a rain-slicked stage 17 in Valence, narrowly avoiding a massive crash that took down several top sprinters including Biniam Girmay and delayed Tim Merlier. The 24-year-old Italian from Lidl-Trek now leads the points classification with 312 points, putting him in a strong position to claim the green jersey, ahead of overall leader Tadej Pogacar who remains second in points with 240. Despite the late crash, Pogacar and his closest rival Jonas Vingegaard safely finished the stage, with Pogacar maintaining a 4-minute 15-second lead overall heading into the Alps. The peloton now faces a pivotal queen stage featuring three challenging climbs culminating in the ascent to the Col de la Loze, which is expected to be decisive for the general classification battle. Milan credited his team for their support throughout the stage, especially in the difficult weather conditions, highlighting the collective effort behind his sprint victory. The race dynamics are set to shift dramatically as the Tour moves into the mountainous terrain where the overall winner will likely be determined.