"I got the maximum out of what I had today": Soren Waerenskjold sneaks onto Dwars door Vlaanderen podium in a chaotic finale

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."

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.