Norway’s Soren Waerenskjold produced one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the Tour de France 2026 by storming to victory in Stage 11 on Wednesday, just a day after finishing last on the previous stage to Le Lioran. The Uno-X Mobility rider timed his sprint to perfection in Nevers, edging out Dutchman Olav Kooij in a thrilling finish, while Belgian Milan Fretin completed the podium. Jasper Philipsen initially crossed the line in third but was later relegated for his role in the sprint. The 161.3-km stage from Vichy also entered the record books as the fastest in Tour de France history.
Fastest Tour de France stage ends with Waerenskjold’s maiden victory
The stage was completed at an average speed of around 50.9 kph, making it the fastest in Tour history.
“It means everything. It’s my biggest win so far,” Waerenskjold said.
“It’s incredible, I have to let it sink in, then I will probably be happier than I look now.”
There were no significant changes in the general classification, with defending champion Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG safely finishing in the bunch to retain the yellow jersey.
Merlier Misses Sprint Hat-TrickÂ
Meanwhile, Belgian Tim Merlier, who had won two previous sprint stages, was unable to complete a hat-trick of victories and finished outside the top 10.
A four-man breakaway featuring Julian Alaphilippe, Mathis Le Berre, Nelson Oliveira and Anthon Charmig sparked much of the day’s action after early attacks on wet roads around Vichy.
The peloton, driven by teams backing sprint contenders including Biniam Girmay, Merlier, Max Kanter and later Kooij, kept the gap under tight control, with the last survivors of the breakaway group reeled in inside the final 6 km.
Le Berre claimed maximum points at the intermediate sprint, while Danish cyclist Mads Pedersen extended his lead in the green jersey standings by finishing ahead of Girmay. Charmig swept up both fourth-category climbs as the breakaway battled against a peloton travelling on flat roads, aided by a slight tailwind.
A crash in the feed zone brought down Ben O’Connor, Abel Balderstone and Georg Zimmermann, although all three were able to continue after Zimmermann received medical attention.
(With inputs from Reuters)Â
