Just 24 hours after crawling across the finish line dead last following a crash en route to Le Lioran, Uno-X Mobility’s Søren Wærenskjold rolled into Nevers and defeated the pure sprinters.
The 161.3-kilometer transition from Vichy was billed as a standard day for the fast men, but the peloton had other ideas. Driven by an early breakaway featuring Julian Alaphilippe and a ruthless pace, the bunch kept the throttle pinned to the floor. Clocking in at an average speed of 50.9 km/h, the riders shattered the record for the fastest road stage in the history of the Tour de France.
The four-man escape group was kept on a tight leash by the sprint trains, finally getting swallowed up just six kilometers from the line. As the race headed into the final kilometer, the traditional lead-out hierarchy disintegrated. Decathlon CMA CGM’s Cees Bol tried to steal a march with a massive late acceleration, but Wærenskjold—who had spent part of the day dropping back to the medical car for treatment on his battered right hand—was the first to react.
The Norwegian powerhouse launched his sprint from 350 meters out. It was enough to hold off a fast-closing Olav Kooij and Jasper Philipsen on the line. Wærenskjold captures his maiden Tour stage victory and secures a massive result for the Uno-X Mobility project. Further back, Tadej Pogačar stayed out of the wind and safely retained his overall grip on the Maillot Jaune before tomorrow’s run to Chalon-sur-Saône.
Results
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