“We promised him a jet ski if he won...” – Soren Waerenskjold earns wild bonus after going from last to first in 24 hours at Tour de France
CyclingWednesday, 15 July 2026 at 17:42
Soren Waerenskjold went from finishing last at Le Lioran to winning the fastest stage in Tour de France history only 24 hours later, completing an extraordinary transformation for both rider and Uno-X Mobility.
The Norwegian had crashed during Stage 10 and reached the finish at the back of the race. By the following morning, teammate Tobias Halland Johannessen found him struggling to believe he could compete with the leading sprinters in Nevers.
Uno-X attempted to lift Waerenskjold by attaching an unusual reward to victory. What began as encouragement on the team bus quickly became an expensive promise.
“He was a dejected boy on the bus this morning,” Halland Johannessen told TV 2. “We promised him a jet ski if he won. Now Thor has to sort out the jet ski.”
Waerenskjold spots gap and commits early
Waerenskjold entered the finale alongside several riders with stronger Tour de France sprint records, including Tim Merlier, Jasper Philipsen, Olav Kooij and Biniam Girmay.
A four-rider breakaway had driven the speed throughout the 161.3-kilometre stage from Vichy, helping produce an average of approximately 50.9km/h. The escape was caught with six kilometres remaining before the pace briefly eased on the narrow approach to Nevers.
Decathlon CMA CGM Team accelerated for Kooij inside the final two kilometres, while Alpecin-Premier Tech positioned Philipsen behind. Merlier was left with ground to recover and unable to contest the leading places.
Waerenskjold found space on the right and committed to a long sprint rather than waiting for the established favourites to launch. “Absolutely insane,” he said. “I saw the gap on the right and just went for it.”
The Uno-X rider maintained his speed to the line, beating Kooij into second and Philipsen into third. Milan Fretin and Huub Artz completed the top five.
“On some days, you think you’re not at the required level”
The victory was Waerenskjold’s first at the Tour and only Uno-X Mobility’s second since making their debut in the race. Jonas Abrahamsen delivered the team’s breakthrough in Toulouse in 2025.
“It’s absolutely insane and fantastic for the team,” Waerenskjold said. “We’ve had some ups and downs during this year’s Tour. On some days, you think you’re not at the required level, and then today I sprinted to victory. It’s enormous.”
His approach in Nevers reflected the doubts he had carried onto the team bus that morning. Rather than placing himself under pressure alongside the Tour’s leading sprinters, Waerenskjold kept his expectations low until the decisive moment.
“I like to keep my expectations for myself low and then switch on towards the end,” he explained. “That’s what I did today. A lot of thoughts went through my head during the final 250 metres, but I tried to stay focused on myself and my own sprint. Fortunately, it worked.”
Waerenskjold completed the record-breaking stage in 3:10:06, moving from 175th on Stage 10 to first on Stage 11. Uno-X general manager Thor Hushovd was left responsible for delivering the promised jet ski.
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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