On a flat road through central France, Soren Waerenskjold did something no cyclist had ever done before. The 26-year-old Norwegian crossed the finish line in Nevers having ridden the 161.3 kilometers from Vichy at a blinding 50.9 kilometers per hour — the fastest stage in the entire 121-year history of the Tour de France. The previous record, set back in 1999, was just 50.3 km/h. Waerenskjold beat it by a whisker, yet the margin felt enormous.
The victory was unexpected, partly because Waerenskjold had crashed badly just two days earlier on Bastille Day. He finished dead last in that mountain stage and admitted he didn't feel good at the start of Wednesday's race. "But then my body got going," he said, "and I felt better in the final with the adrenaline and everything."
The race looked set to be a showdown between the sprinting giants — riders like Jasper Philipsen and Biniam Girmay, who have combined for 13 previous Tour stage wins between them. When Cees Bol made his move with 500 meters remaining, the peloton seemed to be heading for a familiar finish. But Waerenskjold spotted a gap beside the barriers and surged through. "I saw there were 250 meters to go," he said. "I was just waiting for the same thing to happen when Merlier passed me, but it didn't happen this time."
He beat Olav Kooij by almost a full bike length. Philipsen finished third but was moved down for moving in the sprint, giving the podium spot to Milan Fretin instead.
This was Waerenskjold's first Tour de France stage win in his fourth appearance. It was also just the second victory of the race for his team, Uno-X Mobility — a relatively small Norwegian squad that also saw teammate Torstein Traeen wear the leader's yellow jersey for two days earlier this month. "There are two or three guys here who are faster," Waerenskjold said, "but if I'm lucky and have a good sprint, then it's possible." He called the win surreal and said it meant everything. "It's my biggest win so far," he added, still sounding stunned.
With Thursday's stage also flat and likely to end in a sprint, the big names in green jersey contention will get another chance to find their form. But Wednesday belonged to Waerenskjold — a rider who had every reason to doubt himself, and rode straight past that doubt to history.