Soren Waerenskjold claimed his maiden Tour de France stage win on Wednesday, crossing the finish line first in the fastest-ever stage of the race. The 26-year-old Norwegian rider for Uno-X Mobility launched a long-range attack in the final 400 meters of the 161.3km stage from Vichy to Nevers, a route that had been anticipated to end in a sprint finish.
Waerenskjold surprised the main contenders by initiating his move as Cees Bol, who had initially made the first move from the peloton, was within reach. As other riders hesitated, Waerenskjold found a gap along the barriers and accelerated past Bol. Despite a late pursuit by Olav Kooij and Jasper Philipsen, Waerenskjold held on to secure the victory by nearly a bike length. Kooij finished second, with Milan Fretin promoted to third after Jasper Philipsen was relegated for deviating during the sprint.
The peloton's average speed for the stage was 50.9 kilometers per hour, surpassing the previous record of 50.3 kph set in 1999. This marks the second stage win for the Uno-X Mobility team in their Tour de France history.
"It means everything, it's my biggest win so far," said Waerenskjold, who had finished second on stage seven. "There are two or three guys here who are faster, but if I'm lucky and have a good sprint like today then it's possible. I just have to let it sink in and then I will probably be more happy than I look now, but it's a big surprise for myself."
In the general classification, overall race leader Tadej Pogacar maintained his lead, remaining three minutes and 36 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard.