What started as a rain-soaked dash along the Loire ended as a historic day for cycling: Stage 11 of the 2025 Tour de France, averaging 50.91 km/h, became the fastest road stage in the race’s 113-year history.
Sören Waerenskjold sealed the victory with a perfectly timed early sprint in Nevers’ chaotic finale, leaving Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) in his wake. For the 26-year-old, it was his maiden Tour stage win, celebrated with a roar of joy on the banks of the Loire.
Pascal Ackermann (Jayco AlUla) was the top German in 10th, extending Germany’s stage-win drought to over five years. Tim Merlier, a two-time stage winner this Tour, was also caught out by Waerenskjold’s early launch and could only manage 15th.
For race leader Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG), the flat stage passed without incident – bar a broken radio, swiftly fixed by domestique Nils Politt. The Slovenian maintains his GC lead by 3:36 over Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), while Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) sits sixth, 4:44 adrift.
Despite the wet start, the peloton showed no fear on the slick roads: the pace stayed ferocious, averaging over 52 km/h at the halfway mark. Two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe led a four-man break that stood no chance on the flat course.
Georg Zimmermann (Lotto-Intermarché) provided a scare when the former German champion crashed 30 km from the finish in the feed zone, but remounted and finished, receiving medical attention at the line.
Thursday offers what should be the last sprinters’ stage: a 179.1 km run from the old F1 circuit in Magny-Cours to Chalon-sur-Saône.
