Matteo Milan crashes, Axel Huens in the top 10
# Matteo Milan Faces Setback, Axel Huens Shines in Top 10 Finish at UAE Tour
In an unfortunate turn of events, Matteo Milan experienced trouble during Stage 5 of the UAE Tour, following his thrilling first podium finish just a day prior. The young Italian sprinter crashed with only 700 meters remaining in the stage. Fortunately, he managed to get back on his bike without sustaining serious injuries, and his lead-out man, Axel Huens, stepped up to secure a commendable 8th place finish.
Stage 5 presented another opportunity for sprinters, but this time, the peloton was cautious. Unlike the narrow escape from a breakaway the day before, teams were united in their strategy to keep the race under control. “All the sprinters’ teams had the same goal: to make sure only two or three riders went up the road so it would be easier to control, because yesterday’s scenario once again showed how complicated it can be,” explained team coach Stéphane Goubert.
Although a few riders attempted to break away, their lead never exceeded two minutes. The last 15 kilometers saw the peloton maintaining a steady pace, catching the breakaway just three kilometers from the finish as Groupama-FDJ aimed for the front.
“It’s frustrating,” Stéphane remarked, reflecting on the team’s strategy. “We had decided to wait until the very end to launch our effort, which the boys did. From the car, it seemed like they might have gone a bit early, but they felt the timing was right.” Milan was well-positioned with three teammates as they approached the flamme rouge, but disaster struck when he got boxed in before hitting a right-hand bend.
“In a good position with Axel, unfortunately, Matteo was involved in an incident,” Stéphane added. The crash sidelined Milan for the final sprint, but Huens managed to push through to finish eighth. “When you see what Axel managed to do after already working earlier, you think we could have achieved a big result again today. It’s frustrating,” Stéphane expressed, hoping for a quick recovery for Milan ahead of Stage 6.
Despite the scrapes, Milan finished the stage and is expected to compete in Saturday’s Stage 6 to Jebel Hafeet. Stéphane remains optimistic: “If there’s a fast start, it could be an opportunity for the boys to try to get in the break, enjoy some time off the front, and do some work. We’ll also need to put David in the best possible position on a climb he knows well.” As he looks ahead, Stéphane hopes to turn this setback into a comeback for his team.
