VIGNOLA – The first rest of this Tour of Italy it was in an anomalous way a sunny day with decidedly spring-like temperatures. We're not far from Maranello, where horses hidden under carbon and a layer of red paint growl and howl every day on the Modena roads. Arriving at the hotel in Vignola where the Bahrain Victorious, in the shadow of the buses, we met the young woman maglia ciclamino Jonathan Milan.
Despite his 22 years and a nature worthy of the roaring engines of these parts, the Friulian at this Giro has already made us jump on our seats with his lush bursts of watts and jerks on the bike. And it is precisely his Merida react that we had them tell us, including anecdotes, positions and tricks.
The largest
Looking at his sprints, power is one of the most noticeable elements in every pedal stroke. For this in-depth analysis we asked Jonathan for every detail. Starting from size: which one do you use?
«The largest – says Milan – an L, I've never tried smaller frames. Although some sprinters prefer to use a smaller size to be more aerodynamic, to have a more reactive frame and waste less energy. But I I've never had this need with this bike.I've had the same measurements for three years, maybe there have been some small variations in the handlebars, position, levers raised or lowered, saddle forwards and backwards, but the frame has always remained the same.
«I have always had un 40cm handlebar – he explains – in the end, for sprints, I think it's ideal. If it's too tight, your elbows flare out and things get unbalanced.. Well, my personal aerodynamics are another thing that definitely needs to be reviewed (laughs, ed.). I won't use a narrower one. I even thought about enlarging it. to open the rib cage when I'm down, but in the end I decided to stay like this, because I'm happy. At the beginning of the year I wanted to make a couple of changes, at least try, but I said to myself: why do it? If I'm happy, better to maintain this setup».
Position and aerodynamics
Another aspect that did not go unnoticed in these sprints wearing the cyclamen jersey was his "anomalous" position. When all sprinters tend to bring their nose closer to the front wheel, for Jonny the only priority seemed to be to deliver as much power as possible.
«The first year – Milan recalls – I was half a centimeter higher and then slowly I went a little further down to try to be more aerodynamic. There weren't many changesLast year I was inactive for a long time. I finished the year feeling really good and I said, "Well, now we can do some tests, it's the right time." Because if I had waited until the beginning of this year with a few extra pounds and maybe a little more stiffness, I wouldn't have felt so good and I would have started riding because I wasn't at my best. So last year I raised the saddle a little, it was pushed a little further to ensure that the pedal stroke drew more thrust from the pedal.
«I had done – he says – some small, millimetric changes to the pedals and cleats, with whom I really got along well. I also changed my shoesI'm a very precise person. I'm very delicate, I can feel these things immediately: saddle forward, back, high, low, handlebars, levers..."
Comfort, rigidity and weight
La Merida Reacto has a aero frame which, however, manages to combine various characteristics. So we started with a basic question to get this frame described. In what order would you put it, comfort, stiffness and weight?
«Being a sprinter – he explains – and being physically big, la rigidity must be at the top. Then I put the comfort because we spend many hours in the saddle. Finally the weight Because it's probably a feature you can overlook. Having a large bike, I've always been used to not paying much attention to it. In this Reacto I absolutely find these three characteristics. However, I must say that, despite its size and its greatness, it is also very light in weight.
«It's me who who I have to build myself meglio physically, because the straighter the bike, the less power you waste and the more you put into the pedals. I usually always aim to try to keep it as still as possible, so that it cuts the air better».
Wheels and ratios
Merida's construction quality is beyond question, so with Milan we also looked into the fittings, starting from the Vision 60 SL wheels, Continental Gran Prix 5000s Tr tires and the gear ratios of his Shimano Dura Ace Di2 disc.
"The 45mm wheels "You see," says Jonathan, "we mounted them in the last stages to lighten it. I usually use 60s, while we adjust the pressures from time to time." I like to keep them a little higherI don't really like driving in the wet, but we're lucky because With Continental we are very well equipped. We have the 28s, but at the Tour of Croatia last year I also tried the 30s and 32s and I have to say that you have no problems driving even in stressful conditionsIn the first stage I won, there was a very technical and treacherous descent, wet and with leaves on the ground. I was behind Matej (Mohoric, ed.) and it was the first time I tried to follow him. I said to myself: "Either I trust him and go with him, or I put on the brakes and go down like Jonny." In the end, I gave it a try, I trusted him, and I was amazed at how well he held up.
«As regards the relationships - he concludes - in the first sprint stages I always used the 55In the first stage I think I managed to pull the 12 and I was mounting a cassette with the 30. Instead, for the last stages with more climbing I mounted the 34, with the 54 in front. I'd rather go a little more agile than get my leg stuck., but I usually let my feelings take over. If I happen to not feel very well physically, I sprint with a more agile gear. When Pedersen won in Naples, I think I sprinted with a 54x13, which was definitely too agile."
