NORWEGIAN rider Soeren Waerenskjold claimed the biggest victory of his career on Thursday, July 16, 2026 (PH time), sprinting to the win on Stage 11 of the Tour de France, while overall leader Tadej Pogacar safely retained the yellow jersey.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Waerenskjold surged late to edge Olav Kooij, Jasper Philipsen and the rest of the sprint field at the end of the 161.3-kilometer stage from Vichy to Nevers, which unfolded as expected on a relatively flat route.
Pogacar, who extended his overall lead to more than 3½ minutes with his third stage victory of this year’s Tour on Wednesday, finished safely in the main peloton alongside chief rival Jonas Vingegaard to preserve his commanding advantage.
The stage victory was the first Tour de France stage win for the 26-year-old Waerenskjold.
“It means everything. It’s my biggest win so far and, like I said when I came here, I knew that there are two or three guys that are faster than me. But if I’m lucky and I have a good sprint like today then it’s possible,” Waerenskjold said.
According to AP, Waerenskjold bounced back impressively after finishing last among the 175 riders in Wednesday’s stage following a crash. He also required treatment to his right hand from the race doctor early in Thursday’s race.
“Sometimes I have really good confidence and I believe in myself, but there’s many, many times where I feel super tired and like it’s impossible to win here,” he said. “So yeah, it’s crazy that it happened today.”
The race unfolds
The AP also reported that the peloton averaged 50.9 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest road stage in Tour de France history.
Mathieu van der Poel and Valentin Paret-Peintre launched early attacks before a four-man breakaway featuring Julian Alaphilippe, Mathis Le Berre, Nelson Oliveira, and Anthon Charmig established a slim advantage.
The escape group’s lead gradually dwindled as the peloton increased the pace. Alaphilippe was dropped on the Category 4 Côte de Billy-Chevannes climb, and the remaining three riders were eventually reeled in with 5.5 kilometers remaining.
With the breakaway neutralized, sprint teams took control of the race and positioned their lead-out trains for the finish.
Waerenskjold timed his move perfectly to outsprint the field. / LBG
