Stage 11 of the Tour de France 2026 confirmed one should never say Nevers to baroudeurs… But it also showed one should never take a sprinter out of the equation, no matter his most recent setbacks. The day after a crash that left him finishing last en route to Le Lioran, Soren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) started the day in doubt. During the stage, he called the race doctor for treatment on his right hand. In the end, he sprinted to a maiden Tour stage win, making the most of his raw power to open his sprint 350 metres from the line and get the better of Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck). With an average speed of 50.9 km/h over 163.1 flat kilometres, this is the fastest stage in the history of the Tour (excluding TTs). Sprinters will get another chance to shine on Thursday with a flat stage to Chalon-sur-Saône.
A sprint on the cards? After stage 10’s mountain showdown ruled by Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates XRG), the fast men eye their fourth opportunity of the Tour de France 2026 with a mostly flat stage from Vichy to Nevers (161.3 km, 1,400m of elevation).
Van der Poel tries, Alaphilippe makes it
The road is wet as the 174-man peloton start from Vichy without Chris Harper, whose team Pinarello-Q36.5 says he suffers from a hand injury caused by a crash en route to Le Lioran. Attackers are inspired, starting with Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who accelerates again and again in the first few kilometres of the stage.
Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) is also intent on making the breakaway. After previous attempts, the French icon attacks again at km 13 along with Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) and Mathis Le Berre (Total Energies). Liam Slock (Lotto Intermarché) wants to close the gap but the leaders don’t wait for him. The break of the day becomes established with just the four of them.
Going past the Tour halfway point
Tim Merlier’s Soudal Quick-Step rapidly takes over the pace-setting at the front of the bunch, with the support of Biniam Girmay’s NSN and Max Kanter’s XDS Astana. The gap never gets higher than 1’40’’, when the attackers enter the final 70 kilometres of the stage after passing by Moulins, where Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) won a stage in 2023. It also marks the halfway point of the Tour 2026 (1,645.15 km covered, as many to go).
Three riders remain at the front after Julian Alaphilippe is distanced on the Côte de Billy-Chevannes (cat. 4, summit at km 123.4). Anthon Charmig sets the pace on the ascent and take his second KOM point of the day, after conquering the Côte de Billonnière (cat. 4) earlier in the stage (km 32.9).
Wærenskjold's raw power
Charmig, Oliveira and Le Berre give it their all to resist the peloton despite the collaboration of Olav Kooij’s Decathlon CMA CGM and Pavel Bittner’s Picnic PostNL to control the attackers. The gap drops down to 50 seconds with 25 kilometres remaining, 20 seconds under the 10-kilometre banner… They are eventually reeled in 6 km from the line.
As the pace dropped inside the last kilometre, Cees Bol (Decathlon CMA CGM) opens a small gap. Soren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) is the quickest to react, launching his sprint 350 metres from the line. He rapidly passes Bol and resists Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) to cross the line in 3h10'06'', making it the fastest stage in the history of the Tour (50.9km/h).
