Soren Waerenskjold claimed his first Tour de France stage victory on Wednesday, powering to the finish in the fastest ever road stage recorded in the race’s history. The 26-year-old Norwegian seized the win on the 161.3-kilometre route from Vichy to Nevers in central France, completing the flat course at an average speed of 50.9 kilometres per hour. This exceeded the previous record set in 1999, when Mario Cipollini won a 194.5-kilometre stage at 50.3 km/h.
Waerenskjold launched a decisive sprint in the final few hundred metres, following an early move by Cees Bol, and held off competitors including Olav Kooij and Jasper Philipsen to cross the line first. Philipsen initially faced relegation for deviating from his sprint line but was later reinstated to third place. The sprint finish was a surprise to Waerenskjold, who acknowledged faster sprinters were in the field but credited his timing and luck in securing the win.
Early in the stage, a powerful four-man breakaway including Julian Alaphilippe, Mathis Le Berre, Nelson Oliveira, and Anthon Charmig gained a lead of over a minute but were gradually reeled in by the peloton as the finish approached. Alaphilippe dropped off the lead group on a small uphill climb, and the breakaway was caught with around 5.5 kilometres remaining, setting the stage for the bunch sprint.
Despite finishing last in the previous stage after a crash, Waerenskjold showed resilience, receiving treatment for his right hand early in the day but maintaining confidence that post-crash fatigue would not prevent a strong finish. He compared the sensation of his quick reaction in the sprint to his previous win at the Belgian race Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Tadej Pogacar, the two-time Tour champion and current race leader, finished safely within the main peloton. The Slovenian extended his overall lead to three minutes and 36 seconds ahead of his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard. Pogacar, who won his third stage of this year’s race on Tuesday, continued his bid for a record-equalling fifth Tour title with a measured ride on the flat stage.
The Uno-X Mobility team, which Waerenskjold represents, celebrated only its second Tour stage victory, having held the yellow jersey earlier through teammate Torstein Traeen. The high pace of the day was aided by favorable wind conditions on an almost completely flat course, offering a contrast to the mountainous challenges and intense racing of previous stages.