Soren Waerenskjold Claims Tour de France Stage Victory

Record‑setting stage finish

Norway’s Soren Waerenskjold, making his fourth Tour appearance, surprised the field with a daring long‑range sprint on Wednesday’s flat 161.3 km leg from Vichy to Nevers. The 26‑year‑old secured his first career stage win and handed Uno‑X Mobility only its second victory ever, edging teammate Olav Kooij by a bike’s length. Waerenskjold’s late surge came after Cees Bol initiated a move in the final 500 m, but a hesitation from his team allowed Waerenskjold to slip through a gap beside the barriers 400 m from the line. The stage’s average speed of 50.9 km/h eclipsed the previous record of 50.3 km/h set in 1999, making it the fastest Tour stage in history.

Waerenskjold, who finished second to Tim Merlier on stage 7, described the outcome as his biggest triumph so far. “I just had a good sprint today, and it was a big surprise for myself,” he said, adding that he plans to let the moment sink in before celebrating fully. His win also highlighted the potential of a relatively new squad to compete at the highest level, and it set the stage for fresh battles in the general classification.

Stage results

• Soren Waerenskjold (Nor/Uno‑X Mobility) – 3h 10m 06s
• Olav Kooij (Ned/Decathlon CMA CGM) – same time
• Milan Fretin (Bel/Cofidis)
• Huub Artz (Ned/Lotto Intermarche)
• Biniam Girmay (Eri/NSN Cycling)
• Anthony Turgis (Fra/TotalEnergies)
• Clement Russo (Fra/Groupama‑FDJ United)
• Fernando Gaviria (Col/Caja Rural‑Seguros RGA)
• Pascal Ackermann (Ger/Jayco AlUla)
• Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl‑Trek)

General classification after stage 11

• Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates‑XRG) – 39h 25m 08s
• Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Visma‑Lease a Bike) – +3m 36s
• Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Red Bull‑Bora‑Hansgrohe) – +4m 06s
• Juan Ayuso (Spa/Lidl‑Trek) – +4m 22s
• Paul Seixas (Fra/Decathlon‑CMA CGM) – +4m 35s
• Florian Lipowitz (Ger/Red Bull‑Bora‑Hansgrohe) – +4m 44s
• Isaac del Toro (Mex/UAE Team Emirates‑XRG) – +5m 08s
• Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl‑Trek) – +5m 45s
• Lenny Martinez (Fra/Bahrain‑Victorious) – +6m 34s
• Tom Pidcock (GB/Pinarello‑Q36.5) – +11m 49s

The rapidity of the stage adds an extra layer of drama to an already tight race for the yellow jersey. While Pogacar still leads by three minutes thirty‑six seconds over Vingegaard, the compact margins mean any misstep could reshape the podium. Waerenskjold’s surprise victory not only fuels his own confidence but also signals that newcomers can disrupt established hierarchies on any given day.