Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) crossed the finish line first on the decisive Balatonalmádi–Veszprém stage of the 2026 Tour de Hongrie, claiming his third stage victory in the race. Despite a crash, the general classification was won by Sweden’s Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl-Trek). Erik Fetter (Team United Shipping) took the podium in the red jersey, while Attila Valter (Bahrain Victorious) won the white jersey.
On May 17, overcast and windy weather greeted the teams at Wesselényi Beach in Balatonalmádi. A total of 99 cyclists set out on the final stage. The 147-kilometer route featured two mountain circuits and five categorized climbs. The unpredictable terrain offered the final opportunity for the GC contenders to take the yellow jersey off Jakob Söderqvist’s (Lidl - Trek) shoulders. The starting ribbon was cut by Ágnes Forsthoffer, Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary; László Bercsényi, Mayor of Balatonalmádi; Péter Princzinger, CEO of Visit Balaton 365; Róbert Ésik, Partner at Ernst & Young Advisory Ltd.; and Károly Eisenkrammer, the General Director of the Tour de Hongrie.
The breakaway formed after the first climb of Szentkirályszabadja. The seven-rider group included Erik Fetter (Team United Shipping), Siebe Deweirdt (Team Flanders - Baloise), Ezra Caudell (Modern Adventure), Jamie Meehan (Cofidis), Pietrobon Adria (Polti VisitMalta), Nikias Arndt (Bahrain Victorious), and Gerben Kuypers (Pauwels Sauzen - Altez Industriebouw) – their lead peaked at three minutes.
Among the breakaway riders, Fetter was the most productive: the Hungarian rider won every mountain sprint, becoming the first Hungarian rider since 2020 to claim the red jersey!
After the final mountain sprint, the peloton stayed together, but a crosswind hit on the road leading to Nemesvámos, and UAE Team Emirates tore the peloton apart. In the chaos, yellow jersey holder Jakob Söderqvist crashed, and then third-place rider Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla), 2019 Tour de Hongrie winner Krists Neilands (NSN Cycling Team), and Slovakian Martin Svrcek (Soudal Quick-Step) broke away from the rest of the group. The trio managed to build a half-minute lead over the main peloton—which had shrunk to 40 riders and included Söderqvist—but by the time they reached Veszprém, their pursuers had closed in on them. In "the city of queens", Svrcek attacked first, followed by Mike Teunissen (XDS Astana) from the main peloton, but the peloton caught up with them in the final kilometer.
The stage victory was decided by a bunch sprint, in which Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) once again proved unbeatable. The Belgian star claimed his third victory in the race—behind him, Alexis Renard (Cofidis) and Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) finished on the stage podium.
Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl - Trek) finished with the main peloton after his crash, winning the general classification of the 47th Tour de Hongrie ahead of Benoit Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates) and Plapp. Söderqvist became the first Swedish winner in the history of the Tour de Hongrie.
In the points classification, Tim Merlier, who won three stages, was able to extend his lead, allowing him to confidently take home the green jersey in front of Max Kanter (XDS Astana) and Fernando Gaviria.
Among the Hungarians, Zsombor Takács finished highest in the final stage (10th), but in the general classification, Attila Valter (Bahrain Victorious) managed to retain the white jersey. The 2020 champion returned to the race after a six-year absence, finishing in 9th place.
47th Tour de Hongrie, Stage 5 (Balatonalmádi - Veszprém, 147 km)
General classification:
Winner of the points classification (in green jersey): Tim Merlier (BEL, Soudal Quick-Step)
Winner of the mountain classification (in red jersey): Erik Fetter (HUN, Team United Shipping)
Full results: HERE
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