"I got the maximum out of what I had today": Soren Waerenskjold sneaks onto Dwars door Vlaanderen podium in a chaotic finale
Cycling
The denouement of 2026 Dwars door Vlaanderen was nothing short of spectacular. Among all the chaos caused by omni-present attack efforts, Soren Waerenskjold almost rose to the glory like a year ago at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. But this time, the Uno-X Mobility sprinter fell short to attackers Filippo Ganna and Wout Van Aert, and thus the last remaining podium spot was a maximum possible.
"I'm really happy," Waerenskjold told Cycling Pro Net after the race. "I did my own race a little bit back in the bunch there, so I wasn't with the guys in the front, but I felt I got quite good legs on the flat sections, but not on the climbs... So, when Wout went on Eikenberg, I stopped a little bit. Then, I just tried to go my own pace and save as much as I could to the sprint."
Pre-race favourite Wout Van Aert put in a tremendous effort to stay clear off the bunch following his attack with 40 kilometers to go, and he ultimately managed to do that - however Filippo Ganna's last-kilometer acceleration was too much for the Belgian. In the context of all of this happening, did Waerenskjold really believe the race winner would come out of a sprint?
"I thought it would [come to a sprint], but [the peloton] was maybe short a couple riders that were strong enough to bring it together. But actually I didn't pay too much attention what was happening. I was just focusing on myself and trying to be in an okay position in the last corner and maybe I was too far back, but luckily it didn't matter in the end."
Work to do
While it isn't the sought after victory for Waerenskjold, a podium result is a clear step up from 45th place at Middelkerke - Wevelgem and 65th at Omloop. His current fitness is still not quite where he'd have liked it to be just one week before Paris-Roubaix, but the engine is already starting to come together:
"I feel like I could have a little bit better climbing legs because when my legs stop, I feel tingle in my arms and my legs and everything. So I hope to get into a little bit better shape, but I can't complain. I think I got maximum out of what I had today and I'm glad for that," the Norwegian concluded.
His next start will be the Tour of Flanders, however all sights of the 26-year-old are pointed towards the Hell of the North one week later.
Soren Waerenskjold came close to repeating his 2025 Omloop victory today
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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