2020

41st Tour de Hongrie: The iconic triumph of Attila Valter

At the end of the 41st Tour de Hongrie, there was a fantastic Hungarian success, Attila Valter won the yellow jersey of the general classification!

(Photos: Tdh.hu/Zoltán Vanik, Márió Pertorini, Zsolt Halmágyi, Zoltán Tuba)

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the entire racing season was turned upside down in cycling, but the Tour de Hongrie was given a favorable scheduling when it restarted after a long forced break. The biggest Hungarian cycling race could take place between 28 August and 2 September, and good scheduling also attracted the big teams: five World Teams and eight Pro Teams submitted their entries, so we could expect the strongest race of all time in Hungary. In the last days of August the epidemic situation in Hungary worsened, so the successful start was uncertain for some moments. However, the teams luckily arrived, and complying with the prescribed epidemic prevention regulations, they finally received the official starting permit in front of the main entrance of Basilica in Esztergom...

The first stage ended with a sprint finish and Spaniard Jon Aberasturi won: the competitors covered 118 kilometers on the circular track around Esztergom, the finish took place in beautiful surroundings at the foot of the Basilica. After the finish line, the caravan had a long journey ahead, as the second stage started from Debrecen the next day. The finish was hosted by Hajdúszoboszló, a spa town where the Italian Jakub Mareczko from CCC Team won the finish, but the second stage had a Hungarian hero also, András Szatmáry from the national team, who was on the run for almost 130 kilometers, and this way managed to climb up to third place in general classification.

Next came the 182-kilometer stage between Karcag and Nyíregyháza on an almost completely flat track. Tour de Hongrie last visited Nyíregyháza in 1995 (twenty-five years ago, in the third Tour de Hongrie after the change of regime): then the Russian Sergej Ivanov wore the colorful jersey for the best general classification which at that time was red because of the main sponsor. Nyíregyháza has been the start or destination city of the Tour de Hongrie five times so far.

The caravan set off from Kossuth Square in Karcag and arrived at Kossuth Square in Nyíregyháza late in the afternoon. On this day as well, Jakub Mareczko could raise his hand which means that Attila Valter’s clubmate managed to double. On top of that a day later, Mareczko managed to win again, so he trippled! On the fourth day of the competition, he was also the fastest on the 180 kilometer stage between Sárospatak and Kazincbarcika!

On the last day of the international competition on the Queen Stage, between Miskolc and Gyöngyös-Kékestető 188 kilometers awaited the participants, and the decision - not only about the stage victory, but also about the general classification - was left to the last ten kilometers. In the first kilometers of the climb leading to Mátraháza, Jumbo-Visma dictated the pace, four of its riders pulled the line, but this tactic did not have much success, though several riders were dropped, the strongest - including Attila Valter - continued to ride at the front. The highest rated cyclist of this year's Tour de Hongrie, the winner of the Czech Tour, the Australian Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott) accelareted two and a half kilometers from the finish line, his pursuers fell further and further behind him, while Attila Valter tried to keep up in a group of eight riders. 

Howson set too high pace even for himself, looked back more and more, and Attila Valter waited for the sign indicating the last kilometer. The Hungarian from CCC Team got out of the saddle and started an amazing ride. First, he left the Australian, and then already two hundred meters from the finish line, it was clear that no one could follow him, and Attila confidently won the Kékestető finish! "My whole team was brilliant in this race, although I didn't add much to the stage wins of the previous three days, just carried some water bottles each day. Today I had very good legs, I was able to come to the attack quite easily, and the motivation took me since I heard from so many people shouting ’ Go, Attila, go!’  so the stage victory couldn't be lost. Thank you very much to everyone, thank you Hungarians!" - said the twenty-two-year-old Attila Valter at the finish line, who achieved the greatest success of his career at the time.

The stage success also meant that he won the 41st Tour de Hongrie thus since Tamás Lengyel's success in 2005, we could once again celebrate a Hungarian winner in the domestic tour after a fifteen-year break! Trek-Segafredo's junior world champion Quinn Simmons from the United States took second place, and Australian Damien Howson (Mitchelton-Scott) finished third in the general classification.

41st Tour de Hongrie (29 August - 2 September 2020, 826 km)

Section winners:

Stage 1 (Esztergom - Esztergom, 118 km): Jon Aberasturi (Spanish, Cajar Rural - Seguros RGA) - in yellow: Aberasturi
Stage 2 (Debrecen - Hajdúszoboszló, 158 km): Jakub Mareczko (Italian, CCC Team) - in yellow: Aberasturi
Stage 3 (Karcag - Nyíregyháza, 182 km): Jakub Mareczko (Italian, CCC Team) - in yellow: Kaden Groves (Australian, Mitchelton-Scott)
Stage 4 (Sárospatak - Kazincbarcika, 180 km): Jakub Mareczko (Italian, CCC Team) - in yellow: Groves
Stage 5 (Miskolc - Gyöngyös-Kékestető, 188 km): Attila Valter (Hungarian, CCC Team)
 

Final general classification:
1. (in yellow jersey) Attila Valter (Hungarian, CCC Team)
2. Quinn Simmons (American, Trek - Segafredo) +0:12
3. Damien Howson (Australian, Mitchelton-Scott) +0:16
4. Matteo Badilatti (Swiss, Israel Start-Up Nation) +0:25
5. Tobias Foss (Norwegian, Team Jumbo-Visma) +0:26
6. Janez Brajkovic (Slovenian, Adria Mobil) +0:27
7. Alexis Guerin (French, Team Vorarlberg Santic) +0:30
8. Laurens Huys (Belgian, Bingoal - Wallonie Bruxelles) +0:30
9. Cristián Rodriguez (Spanish, Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) +0:37
10. James Piccoli (Canadian, Israel Start-Up Nation) +0:47

Winner of the points classification:
1. (in green jersey) Jakub Mareczko (Italian, CCC Team)

Winner of the mountains classification:
1. (in red jersey) Attila Valter (Hungarian, CCC Team)

The best Hungarian rider in the general classification:
1. (in white jersey) Attila Valter (CCC Team)

Winner of the teams classification:
1. Team Jumbo-Visma (Dutch)