Wednesday, July 15th, 11th stage: Vichy > Nevers – 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 Milan Fretin (Cofidis), third on the day after Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was relegated. 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.
The rain-soaked roads set the scene as the 174-rider peloton rolled out from Vichy without Chris Harper. His team, Pinarello–Q36.5, confirmed that the Australian was sidelined by a hand injury sustained in a crash on the way to Le Lioran.
The opening kilometres were animated by a series of attacks, led repeatedly by Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin–Premier Tech), who launched several accelerations in an effort to establish the day’s breakaway.
Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) was equally determined to get up the road. After several unsuccessful attempts, the French star attacked again at kilometre 13, joined by Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), and Mathis Le Berre (TotalEnergies). Liam Slock (Lotto Intermarché) tried to bridge across, but the leaders pressed on without him, allowing the four-man breakaway to establish itself.
The extended highlights:
Past the Tour’s Halfway Mark
Behind, Tim Merlier’s Soudal Quick-Step squad quickly assumed control of the peloton, with support from Biniam Girmay’s NSN and Max Kanter’s XDS Astana. The breakaway’s advantage never exceeded 1 minute 40 seconds and had already begun to shrink as the riders entered the final 70 kilometres.
The race passed through Moulins, where Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Premier Tech) claimed a stage victory in 2023, while also reaching the halfway point of the 2026 Tour de France: 1,645.15 kilometres completed, with exactly the same distance still to race.
The lead group was reduced to three riders when Julian Alaphilippe lost contact on the Côte de Billy-Chevannes (Category 4, summit at km 123.4). Anthon Charmig drove the pace on the climb and claimed his second King of the Mountains point of the day, having also crested the Côte de Billonnière (Category 4) first earlier in the stage at kilometre 32.9.
Wærenskjold’s Raw Power
Charmig, Oliveira, and Le Berre continued to fight at the front despite sustained pressure from the peloton, where the teams of Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL) worked together to keep the escape in check. Their advantage fell to 50 seconds with 25 kilometres remaining and to just 20 seconds at the 10-kilometre mark before the trio was finally caught six kilometres from the finish.
As the pace briefly eased inside the final kilometre, Cees Bol (Decathlon CMA CGM) seized the opportunity to launch a late move. Soren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) responded immediately, opening his sprint with 350 metres to go. He slingshotted past Bol and held off the fast-finishing Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Premier Tech) to take victory in 3h10’06”.
With an average speed of 50.9 km/h, the stage became the fastest in Tour de France history.
The Sprint!
2026 Tour de France Stage 11 Results:
| 1 | S. WAERENSKJOLD | UNO-X MOBILITY | 03h 10′ 06” | – | B : 10” | – |
| 2 | O. KOOIJ | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | 03h 10′ 06” | – | B : 6” | – |
| 3 | J. PHILIPSEN | ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH | 03h 10′ 06” | – | B : 4” | – |
| 4 | M. FRETIN | COFIDIS | 03h 10′ 06” | – | – | – |
| 5 | H. ARTZ | LOTTO INTERMARCHE | 03h 10′ 06” | – | – | – |
| 6 | B. GIRMAY | NSN CYCLING TEAM | 03h 10′ 06” | – | – | – |
| 7 | A. TURGIS | TOTALENERGIES | 03h 10′ 06” | – | – | – |
| 8 | C. RUSSO | GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED | 03h 10′ 06” | – | – | – |
| 9 | F. GAVIRIA | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | 03h 10′ 06” | – | – | – |
| 10 | P. ACKERMANN | TEAM JAYCO ALULA | 03h 10′ 06” | – | – | – |
General Classification after Stage 11:
| 1 | T. POGACAR | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | 39h 25′ 08” | – | B : 36” | – |
| 2 | J. VINGEGAARD | TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE | 39h 28′ 44” | + 00h 03′ 36” | B : 12” | – |
| 3 | R. EVENEPOEL | RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE | 39h 29′ 14” | + 00h 04′ 06” | B : 10” | – |
| 4 | J. AYUSO | LIDL-TREK | 39h 29′ 30” | + 00h 04′ 22” | – | – |
| 5 | P. SEIXAS | DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM | 39h 29′ 43” | + 00h 04′ 35” | B : 4” | – |
| 6 | F. LIPOWITZ | RED BULL – BORA – HANSGROHE | 39h 29′ 52” | + 00h 04′ 44” | – | – |
| 7 | I. DEL TORO | UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG | 39h 30′ 16” | + 00h 05′ 08” | B : 14” | – |
| 8 | M. SKJELMOSE | LIDL-TREK | 39h 30′ 53” | + 00h 05′ 45” | – | – |
| 9 | L. MARTINEZ | BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS | 39h 31′ 42” | + 00h 06′ 34” | – | – |
| 10 | T. PIDCOCK | PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM | 39h 36′ 57” | + 00h 11′ 49” | B : 4” | – |
