Tour de France results: Søren Warenskjold races to win fastest race ever

Soren Waerenskjold took out the big guns in the long-distance race to win the fastest Tour de France ever.

Racing in his fourth Tour, the 26-year-old Norwegian claimed his first stage win and only his second for team Uno-X Mobility.

Overall race leader Tadej Pogakar is three minutes and 36 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard in the overall classification standings.

The peloton finished 11th with an average of 50.9 km/h, beating their 1999 record of 50.3 km/h.

The race is expected on Wednesday on a flat road from Vichy to Nevers, 161.3km, and Se Ball, who made the first move, will break the peloton for the day in the final 500m.

However, his teammate Olav Kuij did not follow and as the riders hesitated, Warenskjold sneaked around the barriers and counter-attacked with 400m to go.

Ball charged past before Kuij and Jasper Philipsen set off in pursuit, but they left themselves far behind as Wierenskjold won by a bike length from Kuij.

Philippson crossed the line third but was relegated by a move in the sprint, with Milan Frettin up on the podium.

“I saw Sess Ball had a gap and I tried to run towards him and held back a bit to get away from the wheel,” said Warrenskjold, who was second behind Tim Merlier on stage seven.

“Then I saw there were 250 to go. I was expecting the same thing to happen when Merlier passed me, but it didn’t happen this time.

“It means everything, it’s my biggest win so far, there are two or three faster guys here, but if I’m lucky and have a good race like today, it’s possible.

“I’ll just have to let it sink in and then I’ll probably be happier than you look right now, but it’s a big surprise for myself.”