“I don’t know what that nonsense was supposed to achieve” – Brian Holm slams Uno-X tactics after costly Tour de France gamble
Cycling
Uno-X Mobility launched three attacks inside the final 22 kilometres of Stage 7, only for Soren Waerenskjold to finish second when the 2026 Tour de France reached Bordeaux. Former sports director Brian Holm was left wondering whether a fully committed sprint strategy could have turned the Norwegian’s near miss into victory.
The Eurosport Denmark analyst, who spent years working with successful sprint operations at HTC-Highroad and Quick-Step, branded Uno-X’s tactics “nonsense” after Tim Merlier denied Waerenskjold at the line.
Three Uno-X attacks before Waerenskjold finishes second
A largely controlled 175.1-kilometre stage changed when Uno-X began attacking as the peloton closed on earlier escapees Baptiste Veistroffer and Jakub Otruba. Jonas Abrahamsen was launched with around 22 kilometres remaining, forcing Soudal - Quick-Step to contribute heavily to the chase. That move was caught, but Uno-X continued trying to disrupt the approach to Bordeaux through Abrahamsen and Anders Skaarseth.
Abrahamsen’s final acceleration came with just over 10 kilometres remaining. Soudal - Quick-Step and Alpecin‑Premier Tech neutralised all three moves before assembling their lead-out trains.
Waerenskjold remained in the peloton throughout. He beat Biniam Girmay, Max Kanter, Jasper Philipsen and Mads Pedersen in the bunch sprint but could not overhaul Merlier.
“You can only wonder what Uno-X were doing,” Holm said on Eurosport.dk. “They have a rider in Waerenskjold who finished second, yet they were attacking close to the finish. It looks strange when you have a rider you believe can win.”
Tim Merlier celebrates his 2026 Tour de France stage win on the podium
“They shouldn’t need waking up”
Uno-X Mobility general manager Thor Hushovd said afterwards that the attacks were intended to wake the team up before the sprint. According to Holm, that explanation doesn't cut it. “They shouldn’t need waking up,” Holm responded. “It’s a sprint, and this is exactly when they need to be awake.”
The attacks obliged rival teams to chase, but Alpecin‑Premier Tech still reached the final two kilometres with five riders assembled ahead of Philipsen. Soudal Quick-Step also reorganised around Merlier despite losing lead-out rider Bert van Lerberghe during Stage 6.
Merlier emerged in the final 200 metres and came past Waerenskjold to secure the stage victory. Girmay finished third, with Philipsen fifth and Pedersen ninth. “If they had decided to ride for him instead of launching attacks, who knows what it could have led to?” Holm added. “I don’t know what that nonsense was supposed to achieve.”
All three Uno-X attacks had been neutralised before the bunch sprint in which Waerenskjold finished behind only Merlier.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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