Yannis Voisard took a great victory for Tudor Pro Cycling but Liam O’Brien was right there in the hunt, climbing very well in the first test of the year (Photo: Tony Esnault)

Liam O’Brien (20) has put in his first notably climbing display on an uphill finish while riding for the Lidl Trek World Tour team. The Corkman finished just outside the top 10 when the road kicked up at the end of today’s stage 3 at AlUla Tour (2.Pro) in Saudi Arabia.]

Though it looked like Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates XRG) would take the stage when he attacked and went solo with just over 1km to go, the Swiss rider had gone too early. In a breeze-impact finale on the climb, three riders scurried across to him in the closing stages.

Yannis Voisard (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) timed his final effort to perfection and won the gallop to claim the stage and the overall race lead. The great news for O’Brien, who is an U23 team rider and is guesting for the World Tour team this week, is that he was one of the very strongest climbers in the race, and just behind the winner.

Voisard won the three-up sprint from Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain-Victorious) and Sergio Higuita (XDS Astana Team). There was then a gap of six seconds to what remained of the peloton, just 11 riders, and O’Brien was, impressively, on that group.

He crossed the line in 12th place, though the fact he was one of the last men standing on the climb was much more notable than his finishing position. He is clearly in some good form in the early season and is not getting overawed by his surroundings riding for the World Tour team.

Ireland’s general classification hope going in to this race, Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello Q36.5) was a little further back, in 22nd place on the stage and some 39 seconds down. He was forced into a long chase yesterday when he was on the wrong side of a split in the field. And when he got back to the front he was extremely unfortunate to puncture, losing just over seven minutes.

Jamie Meehan (Cofidis) was just behind Dunbar, in 33rd at 55 seconds. Dillon Corkery (Team Picnic PostNL) was 81st at 7:01 while fellow sprinter Seth Dunwoody (Bahrain Victorious) was 97th at 8:51. The race continues tomorrow with a flat 184km stage.