Yannis Voisard strikes on first general classification day of AlUla Tour
Yannis Voisard has won the third stage of the AlUla Tour. The Swiss rider from Tudor Pro Cycling showed the strongest legs on the final climb. Afonso Eulálio finished second, Sergio Higuita third. Voisard also takes over the lead in the general classification.
After two sprint/sheltering stages, today was not the day for Jonathan Milan, Milan Fretin, or Fabio Jakobsen. On day three, the GC contenders had to step up. The stage finished on the slopes of Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah. There was also a finish here last year, but the stage was shortened due to poor road conditions during the final descent.
This year, however, there was no local circuit, and the riders climbed the ascent from the opposite side. In other words: five kilometers of climbing at an average gradient of about 5 percent. A ‘quadratic climb’, as Tim Krabbé would call it. Perhaps not steep enough to create big gaps among the GC men, but tough enough for a spectacular finale.
Third time lucky?
But before that, there was a long and flat approach to the final climb on the program. For local rider Nader Hazazi, this was the signal to go on the attack once again. The 20-year-old rider was part of the early breakaway, just like on Tuesday and Wednesday. And Hazazi was not the only recognizable name leading the charge in the race.
[caption id="attachment_1259539" align="alignnone" width="2000"]
photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
Supported by Muhammad Nur Aiman Bin Rosli (also attacking for the third consecutive day) and Zhe Yie Kee (already active on Wednesday), he rode alongside two familiar breakaway companions. This trio led the race for a while but never had a real chance for victory. Hazazi was the first escapee to be reeled in with just over sixty kilometers to go, but Bin Rosli and Yie Kee refused to give up easily.
Severe crash
The two Malaysians from Terengganu continued to lead for some time but their adventure ended 25 kilometers from the line. A large peloton—led by UAE Emirates XRG and Modern Adventure Pro Cycling—was heading toward the foot of Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah. The pace on the descent to the climb was extremely high. And right there, things went wrong. Multiple riders, including Laurenz Rex (Soudal Quick-Step), crashed at high speed.
The race at the front continued. Once on the climb, Jayco AlUla took the initiative. The Australian team stretched the peloton out into a long line, making it too hard for leader Jonathan Milan. He crashed 3.5 kilometers from the finish. Shortly after, Paul Double (Jayco AlUla) attacked but was unable to break free. Then Jan Christen accelerated, and his move made more impact. The Swiss rider opened a gap that Gianmarco Garofoli managed to close. The Italian, however, refused to take over the pace, after which Christen upped the tempo again.
Christen fights against himself
Garofoli cracked, leaving Christen to start the final kilometer alone. He had a solid lead, but from the rear, some riders bridged the gap—led by Afonso Eulálio. Igor Arrieta, Sergio Higuita, and Yannis Voisard also caught up. The latter would ultimately sprint to victory. Higuita launched his sprint from far out but faded, allowing both Eulálio and Voisard to pass him. Thanks to his stage win, Voisard also becomes the new leader in the general classification.
The UAE Emirates XRG riders faded in the final phase. Jan Christen finished only ninth, behind Mauri Vansevenant, who secured fifth place among others.
🚴🇸🇦 | De aanval van Jan Christen kwam te vroeg en hetzelfde geldt voor de sprint van Higuita. Het is Yannis Voisard die hier de overwinning pakt in de #AlUlaTour 🇨🇭
Wielrennen 👀 HBO Max pic.twitter.com/7yAPHQRBkQ
— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) January 29, 2026
