Soren Wærenskjold launched an ambitious early sprint to deny the race favourites on stage 11 of the Tour de France, the fastest-ever road stage in the race’s history.
It was a first stage win at the Tour for the Norwegian, who beat Decathon CMA CGM’s Olav Kooij, winner of stage five, and Alpecin-PremierTech’s Jasper Philipsen to the line in Nevers by nearly a bike length.
And it continues a streak of surprise wins for the Uno X-Mobility rider, who took a brilliant victory at the Classic Omloop Nieuwsblad last season, again besting Philipsen and the other race favourites.
On Wednesday’s stage Kooij’s teammate Cees Bol launched a late attack, or a very early leadout for the Dutchman, and built a small gap over the peloton inside the last 400 metres.
Wærenskjold, who was also second on stage seven, said: “I thought I was too far back and then it opened up on the right side like it usually doesn’t do. It’s the same feeling as my first big win at Omloop Nieuwsblad, like I was too far back and suddenly I’m at the front. It’s surreal, it’s unbelievable.
“It means everything, it’s my biggest win so far. When I came here I knew there are two, three guys that are faster than me but if I’m lucky and I have a good sprint like today, then it’s possible.
“Sometimes I have really good confidence and I believe in myself but there’s many many times when I feel super tired and like it’s impossible to win here. To finish it off for the team, we have some highs and lows in this race so it’s incredible to take this win.
“I just have to let it sink in, then I will probably be more happy than I look now, but it’s a big surprise to myself!”
But Wærenskjold – who had been given an expert lead-out by his teammates – capitalised on a brief hesitation in the bunch to jump across with 300m to go and kick onwards again after catching him, managing to hold off the fast-closing Kooij, Philipsen and fourth-placed Milan Fretin on the line.
Stage 11 was a pan-flat, pure sprint stage, running 161.3km from Vichy to Nevers, and the infernal pace with which this Tour has been raced so far continued despite the lack of general classification action.
An average speed of 50.9km/h makes it the fastest Tour de France road stage ever, quicker by 0.6km/h than the previous record holder, a sprint stage in the 1999 edition.
A four-man breakaway of Julian Alaphilippe, Mathis Le Berre, Nelson Oliveira and Anthon Charmig formed in the early stages of the race, with the sprinters’ teams keeping them on a tight leash, rarely letting the gap over one minute and 30 seconds.
Alaphilippe was dropped and absorbed by the peloton earlier but the remaining trio worked well together until the sprinters’ teams eventually hauled them back in inside the final 7km, setting up the expected bunch sprint – although with an unexpected winner.
The general classification remained the same as all the overall contenders finished safely in the bunch, with four-time champion Tadej Pogacar continuing to lead by three minutes and 36 seconds over two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard.
The Tour continues on Thursday with an undulating 179.1km run from the Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saone
