Søren Wærenskjold has put his signature on the 3-kilometer prologue that opened the 2025 edition of the Deutschland Tour. The Norwegian from Uno X pedaled through the streets of Essen at over 51 km/h, recording a time of 3'31".800 and distancing the British INEOS Grenadiers rider Sam Watson by just half a second. On the third step of the stage podium, Marco Haller, an Austrian from Tudor, finished with a delay of one second and 7 hundredths from the winner.

Jonathan Milan, the first Italian at the finish line, was 5" behind the Norwegian and was classified in fifteenth position, while Simone Consonni finished nineteenth.

Wærenskjold, already a stage winner in the second stage of the recent Tour of Denmark, can now toast to the leadership in the general classification and will face tomorrow's first stage with the distinctive leader's jersey on his shoulders.

FINISH ORDER

1 Wærenskjold Søren Uno-X Mobility 3.31,8

2 Watson Samuel INEOS Grenadiers 0.00,52

3 Haller Marco Tudor Pro Cycling Team 0.01,79

4 Pithie Laurence Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 0.02,24

5 van Aert Wout Team Visma | Lease a Bike 0.02,35

6 van Poppel Danny Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 0.02,36

7 Zijlaard Maikel Tudor Pro Cycling Team 0.03,07

8 Van Mechelen Vlad Bahrain - Victorious 0.03,51

9 Resell Erik Nordsæter Uno-X Mobility 0.04,38

10 Eenkhoorn Pascal Soudal Quick-Step 0.04,73

11 McNulty Brandon UAE Team Emirates - XRG 0.04,96

12 Lamperti Luke Soudal Quick-Step 0.05,03

13 Romeo Iván Movistar Team 0.05,08

14 Mayrhofer Marius Tudor Pro Cycling Team 0.05,34

15 Milan Jonathan Lidl - Trek 0.05,38

16 Politt Nils UAE Team Emirates - XRG 0.05,49

17 Steimle Jannik Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team 0.06,08

18 Sheehan Riley Israel - Premier Tech 0.06,4

19 Consonni Simone Lidl - Trek 0.06,5

20 Van Wilder Ilan Soudal Quick-Step 0.06,66