Preview stage 3 AlUla Tour 2026 - Is UAE set to take another victory?

Stage 3 of the AlUla Tour will be taking place on the 29th of January, with an estimated start and finish time at 10:55 and 14:00CET. This is going to be one of the most important stages of the race and the only one in which the riders will have a summit finish, which should create important differences.

Stage 3 will be an important day in the race, the one with the most climbing and the only stage with a summit finish. The rider start off in the 'winter park' and go on to finish in the Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah.

The final ascent is going to be 4.9 kilometers long at 5.8%, however it is a climb that gradually becomes steeper as the riders ascend. The final kilometers averages almost 10%, making it quite possible to open up meaningful gaps, whilst the climbers also stand a chance to take out the puncheurs if the ascent is ridden all-out right from the base.

The wind can blow and then indeed create splits ahead of the final climb, this can always be the case, but it depends on the riders. Otherwise, don't expect action until the final climb. Once there, it's an effort that suits climbers and puncheurs almost equally, it's a medium-length effort but he gradients aren't steep enough for demolishing attacks. Instead, we should expect the decisive move to come inside the final kilometer, or even a small group sprint to decide the outcome.

*** Jan Christen, Afonso Eulálio
** Eddie Dunbar, Paul Double
* Rainer Kepplinger, Alan Hatherly, Bjorn Koerdt, Alberto Bettiol, Sergio Higuita, Yannis Voisard, Gianmarco Garofoli, Kevin Vermaerke, Igor Arrieta

Pick: Jan Christen

How: Sprint finish between the few that will resist until the end of the climb.