The centenary Tour de Hongrie made people move in large numbers
The centenary race of the Tour of Hungary was organised from 14 to 18 May by the National Event Management Agency in cooperation with the Hungarian Cycling Federation and Vuelta Sports Office. The event was welcomed with interest worthy of the anniversary: not only the start and finish areas were filled with fans, but the settlements near the sections also did their fair share. The competition was broadcast on 67 channels in more than 180 countries, a total of 17 of them dedicated live broadcasts to the TdH.
The 46th Tour de Hongrie was special not only because of the centenary. This year, three Hungarian continental teams and 15 Hungarian cyclists started. One of them, Bálint Feldhoffer (Team United Shipping), only 19 years old, was awarded the white jersey for being the best Hungarian athlete at the end of the competition. The yellow jersey for overall leadership was awarded to Harold Martin Lopez of Ecuador (XDS Astana), the green jersey for leading the points classification was awarded to Danny van Poppel of the Netherlands (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe), and the red jersey for being the leader of the mountains classification was won by Siebe Deweird of Belgium (Flanders – Baloise).
Year after year, the race invigorates not only the sports profession itself, but the whole of Hungary. This year, cyclists set off on an 875km route. The race started with a cycling festival in Szent Gellért Square, exactly where the first one did 100 years ago. Crowds gathered in the square to watch the team presentation and participated in the side programmes, and the fans waited in crowded queues to meet our pride, Blanka Vas, and the Dutch cycling icon Dylan Groenewegen. The 2025 UCI Road World Championships will be held in Kigali, Rwanda, and in line with this, Rwanda’s Minister of Sports, Nelly Mukazayire, gave a welcome speech after the team presentation.
The organisers also chose Szent Gellért Square as the venue of the Great Start, from where the competitors set out on the first day to conquer the outstanding 210km long section, reaching the finish line in Győr. At a short section, fans of the sport also had the opportunity to try themselves in the life of a professional cyclist, as the participants could ride 4.7kms along the race route within the AmaTour Budapest, escorted by the police. 250 people used this opportunity and enjoyed uninterrupted cycling across the Chain Bridge and the Liberty Bridge.
The interest Hungarians showed did not decrease on other competition days, either. The second stage was 178 kilometres long, starting in Veszprém and finishing in Siófok. Visitors to Tihany could also enjoy a Red Bull Air Show, which was a real treat, as none other than the world champion in aerobatics, Péter Besenyei, presented a show over the peninsula. However, this competition day was not all sunshine. Due to the unfortunate weather conditions a serious crash occurred ruffling the atmosphere, affecting about 30 cyclists. All competitors received immediate care, the more seriously injured were taken to hospital; since then, all athletes have started to recover.
The third day of the competition is called “Királyetap” (Kings’ Stage) for a reason. The peloton took its start in Gödöllő, the City of Kings, and ended in Kékestető, with a fore-runner that became one of the trademarks of the race. On this day, as part of the Cofidis AmaTour Kékes, amateur cyclists also had an opportunity to conquer the highest peak in Hungary, where the any cyclist open to a challenge could ride with police escort.
Although the fourth day of the race was held on a flat section, the weather did not make it easier for the competitors either – fortunately, there weren’t any crashes. The special feature of the peloton from Tata to Székesfehérvár was the speed of the competitors: They completed the distance at an average speed of 47.5 km/h – the second fastest stage in the race’s recent history since 2015. However, the fans had plenty of opportunities to immerse in the experience, as at the end of the stage, the competitors took three laps around the MET Arena. The start of the closing day in Etyek on Sunday was visited by many people who had not had the opportunity before: despite the drizzling rain, Körpince Street, where the signing ceremony took place, was full, and the residents along the route waited in front of their houses to encourage their favourites. TdH has been extremely popular among the people of Etyek for years, and the race almost calls it a home. Locals organised a complete cycling day for the 18th race day, including plenty of side events to the delight of locals and visitors. In other settlements along the route, enthusiastic fans sitting at camping tables, residents encouraging from the comfort of tractor seats, dancers and many other activities by fans ensured a festival atmosphere for the competitors on one of the most challenging competition days. Not only the start of the last day, but also the finish was festive. In the picturesque city of Esztergom, cyclists rushed under the finish gate after proving their skills and perseverance on the slopes of the Pilis Hills. The winner of the centennial competition gave the locals the opportunity to really enjoy the end-spurts: In the cobblestone streets of Esztergom, the competitors took two laps before reaching the finish line, and the fans encouraged them with unwavering enthusiasm. As in previous years, the residents of the settlements along the route have shown boundless creativity this year. In several places, installations were made enriching live broadcast. School and kindergarten groups placed TDH 100 signs in several schoolyards or even formed hearts to express their love for the sport; some spectators arrived with tractors and placed straw bales dressed as persons along the route. The Tour de Hongrie is not only a professional sports event, but also a festival getting half of the country to move – from the youngest to the oldest.
