Many questions were clearly answered by those who asked themselves, or even publicly, whether it made sense to bring the world's second largest bicycle race, as well as one of the world's largest sports events, to Hungary. During the three days, it became clear that the Hungarians have an amazing love for sports, they go crazy for the Hungarian competitors, and would go to the end of the world for them. And not incidentally, there are plenty of people who love cycling.

Day 0 and 1: team presentation and the real Grand Start

At the team presentation organized on Wednesday, May 4, there were already signs that those who have been working since 2018 to make the Grand Start in Budapest, with its nice-sounding Italian name: the Grande Partenza, are not only catering to the whims of a few hundred people. The Hősök tere was packed to the brim, the crowd also spilled out onto Dózsa György út, which was closed due to the event.

EOLO-Comet on the Giron in Budapest

The EOLO-Kometa team with Erik Fetter in its ranks and the raging crowd. Photo: Attila Polyák – Origo

The audience waiting for the presentation of the 22 teams together with the interspersed programs showed the Italian guests that they know what they are doing:

not only the three Hungarians, Attila Valter, Barnabás Peák and Erik Fetter, received a standing ovation, but also world stars of the sport,

like Richard Carapaz, Caleb Ewan, Mark Cavendish, Mathieu van der Poel, not to mention the two veteran fighters, Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde, who is in his last season.

Alejandro Valverde and his team

Alejandro Valverde (far left) and his team, the Spanish Movistar, received a huge round of applause. Photo: Attila Polyák – Origo

But it is a mistake to believe that this is a newly ignited love on the part of the Hungarian fans. There are many people who have been following the world of professional cycling for decades, many became lovers of the sport as a result of László Bodrogi's successes at the turn of the millennium, and then the TV broadcasts available in Hungarian made more and more people fall in love with the sport.

Which also means that a lot of people started cycling, and an ever expanding cycling community was formed.

That is why it was not surprising that the Hősök tere was practically full two hours before the start, where a carnival atmosphere awaited those interested.

Mark Cavendish was also very popular in Hungary:

There was no shortage of them this time either: hundreds of people went on foot and many by bicycle, not only so as not to be late for the start, but also to have time to walk through the teams' bus caravan and to buy Giro souvenirs. Surprisingly, most of the people lined up for Intimissimi sports socks, perhaps because the company sponsors Valter Attila, the Hungarian hottie of Groupama-FDJ, who wore the pink jersey as the overall leader in three stages last year.

Walter Fetter Peák

Erik Fetter, Barnabás Peák and Attila Valter in Hősök before the start of the first stage. Photo: Sándor Csudai – Origo

There was traffic at the New Holland tent, which is somewhat foreign to cycling, but with a beautiful tractor, as well as at the pavilion and minibuses offering official Giro souvenirs. It is certain that the marketing people did not complain about the traffic, because the Hungarian fans did not save money: they brought T-shirts, water bottles, caps and bags.

On Friday morning, as the moment of the big start approached,

not only Hősök tere, but the entire Andrássy út, a good kilometer long, was full.

The Giro hardly needs better advertising than this, and it is hardly imaginable for Hungary: thousands, even tens of thousands of fans could be shown by the drones and the cameraman sitting in the helicopter, making it clear that it was a flawless decision to bring the Grande Partenza to Budapest.

Giro starts Andrássy út

Start on Andrássy út. Several thousand people were waiting for the competitors. Photo: Origó Sándor Csudai

This time, the event was not only visited by tourists, people looking around and taking Insta pictures, as in so many similar cases, but many people came on bicycles, dressed in cycling clothes, and wearing cleats.

It is clear that there are many people in Hungary for whom cycling is really important, and for whom it is worth investing in the further development of the bike infrastructure.

And finally 12.20 has come, i.e. the moment of the real Grand Start, the historic time when one of the biggest sports events in the world begins in Budapest!

The field started, with the so-called slow start, the competitors rolled out of Hősök tere, along Andrássy út. In the first row, of course, with the three Hungarian heroes: Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ), EOLO-Kometa newcomer Erik Fetter, and Intermarché-Wanty cyclist Barnabás Peák. The crowd went wild and it was a once in a lifetime experience on both sides of the cordon.

Giro Budapest Hungarians

The Hungarians are ahead in the big start. Photo: Origó Sándor Csudai

Valter Attila was interviewed in the weeks before the race in who knows how many dozens of interviews, in each of which they tried to press him to see if he would go out of his way to win the first stage, which is truly his home track, as he trains there a lot, but he faced the pressure with angelic calmness: the race will not take place here to fall, but in the Appennines and the Italian Alps, at home he just wants to enjoy the three stages in Hungary, while being a good professional he just pays attention to achieve decent results.

In Visegrád, in this small village, but so important from the point of view of Hungarian history, you rarely see so many people together as those who made a pilgrimage to the Danube Bend at the finish line of the first stage. Pilgrimage is not really a good term, because there were an amazing number of people who thought that a bicycle tour was worth the special occasion.

It was like a festival, only the fans weren't in band T-shirts, but in cycling gear, with cleats on their feet and hats on their heads.

But they still defied common sense, drank a beer, and then set off to climb the mountain. The feeling of eating the meters on the same asphalt, on which two or three hours later the world's best cyclists will ride, cannot be replaced by anything else. There were fans all along the mountain, it was amazing to see how hundreds gathered at both the 4 and 2 kilometer gates, every ten meters on the asphalt there were signs for Hungarian cyclists, sometimes broken by a message addressed to a cool foreigner. The goal area was also flooded by the arriving fans minute by minute, and this time we could not only write in a figurative sense that people were also hanging from the trees.

Giro finish in Visegrád

Exactly the same enthusiasm and the same crowd awaited the bikers in Visegrád as they will in any Italian-Russian stage. Photo: Sándor Csudai – Origo

In such a crowd - there were several thousand just near the finish line - it is very rare that not a single loud word could be heard, no one screamed when someone stopped in front of them, pushed their bike in front of the crowd, or just spoke loudly. There was no tension, only peace and the excitement of waiting. Another 20 kilometers, another ten, alas, fall, Fetter Erik is also in it, but it's okay, he gets back on the bike, tough guy. And they are already there by the Danube, now they turn up the hill at the church, there is the first fugitive, they catch him, another fugitive, but he doesn't stand a chance either. Where are the Hungarians? There comes Ati, Erik is also fine, and Barna also did his part for his team's sprinter, Biniam Girmay.

Anyone who hasn't been there really can't imagine the magical atmosphere of such a competition:

it is both deafening and uplifting, as everyone cheers for everyone, regardless of nationality or team - acknowledging that even the last competitor to the finish line has put in the same inhuman work to overcome the 197 kilometers as the one who reaches the finish line first.

Giro audience

They even hung from the trees. Photo: Origó Sándor Csudai

The most touching moment of the day was provided by a little boy who, perhaps under the influence of the first Giro stage in Hungary, found his voice: "Did you say father? Did you really say father?” - asked his mother sensitively in the parking lot of the Silvanus Hotel in Visegrád. Maybe by the end of the third day he was able to say that "Attila Valter is running in a pink leotard".

Day 2: time trial in Budapest

The second Hungarian stage of the Giro d'Italia was the Budapest time trial. The 9.2-kilometer section, which started from Hősök tere and finished at Buda Castle, led through the most beautiful places in the capital. The Hungarian trio received an amazing reception as they rolled through the capital stage on Saturday afternoon, but the Hungarian audience also cheered on the others unwaveringly.

Giro time trial

Everyone got applause. Photo: Origó Sándor Csudai

Barnabás Peák was the first to cross the finish line, followed by Erik Fetter and Attila Valter among the Hungarians. Everywhere in the city there were crowds by the cordons, the atmosphere was already fantastic at Hősök ter and Margit híd,

but the real explosion of sound occurred at Ponty Street, as the regular spectators were located at the ramp leading to the castle,

where the time trial bikes are also a little slower, but they still dictated a pace that was not easy to follow with the accompanying cars.

Giro fans

The real fanatics in pink. Photo by Sándor Origó Csudai

There was no need to heighten the atmosphere anyway, but the motorcycle policemen escorting the competitors added to the fact that the spectators, who were waiting for the stars next to the cordons, were in the right state of mind. Some were riding unicycles, some were just revving their motorbikes, some were gesturing to the crowd.

Giro Ponty street

Carp street. This is where the ascent began. Photo: Origó Sándor Csudai

It was impossible to move on the street under the Fisherman's Bastion and at the finish line, the Hungarian cyclists emphasized that they had never experienced an atmosphere like this, even though they had competed in many parts of the world. There were a lot of tourists in the Castle alongside the Hungarian spectators and they also stopped to encourage the best players a little.

After reaching the finish line, the carbon wheels bounced with an incomparable sound on the cobblestone road, where several people fell to the ground and tried to recover after about 12 minutes of rolling.

Giro Valter Attila

They see well! Attila Valter smiles at the many fans. Photo: Origó Sándor Csudai

In addition to the atmosphere and surroundings, it is also not incidental that the competition was really fierce. Simon Yates won with a time of 11:50, which means that he dictated a pace greater than 46 kilometers per hour. Behind him, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, who started in a pink jersey and a matching pink bike, finished just three seconds behind. They were followed by the great Dutch comebacker Tom Dumoulin, who was five seconds behind the winner.

He couldn't even pay attention to the sight, but the atmosphere created by the Hungarian fans impressed the veteran Alejandro Valverde:

But it's no wonder that after the race Berna Peák said: was a dream for Hungarians .

Day 3: Kaposvár-Balatonfüred

After the whirlwind of Budapest, the competitors set their sights on Transdanubia, where the interest also did not decrease. The world's best cyclists were welcomed by a huge crowd in Kaposvár, where Attila Valter's words really stopped when the usual podium ceremony before the start took place.

In choosing Kaposvár as the starting location, the fact that the Hungarian nationality of the EOLO-Kometa Cycling Team is linked to the county seat of Somogy was a big factor.

In addition, their extremely talented rider, Erik Fetter, stood his ground in the Hungarian stages - he did this as one of the youngest members of the field, at just 22 years old.

Giro Kaposvár starts

As a cycling and sports city, Kaposvár was a great host for the start of the third stage. Photo: Sándor Csudai – Origo

As in the first two stages, the fans were waiting by the roads with extremely spectacular choreographies. To put it mildly, it was quite surreal to see how the field was damaged in villages such as Nagybajom, Iharosberény, or Galambok.

Giro fans at the Füred finish:

It could easily be that on this 201-kilometer section, quite a few of the young children who experienced the Giro experience on the side of the roads choose cycling as their sport.

Maybe the young people in the neighborhood, whom we saw dressed in pink and waving the Hungarian flag, will ask for a bike for Christmas

or for their birthday, to be the next Attila Valter, Erik Fetter or Barnabás Peák.

Giro Valter Kaposvár

Even before the start, Attila Valter had the desire and time to talk to the fans. Photo: Sándor Csudai – Origo

 

Such an event is much more than a simple bicycle race, it is a real image of the country. From this point of view, it will also be worth watching the TV broadcast for those following Sunday's stage on the spot, because they will be able to see unique footage from the broadcasting helicopters, which they have never seen before.

The fairytale Balaton highlands could thus reach 800 million viewers,

quite a few of whom must have decided to visit this region in addition to Budapest.

The owner of the Giro hardly expected such a mood:

The finish line was in Balatonfüred, where people could already marvel at the world's best sprinters speeding up to 70-80 km/h while fighting for victory.

Giro Balatonfüred finish line

Anyone who sees the world's best sprinters live for the first time is sure to be amazed at the abominable pace they dictate. (70 km/h) Photo: Sándor Csudai – Origo

In this, one of the best ever is Mark Cavendish, who now also has stage success from Hungary. The British legend also showed on the shores of Lake Balaton that the record-breaking 34 Tour de France stage victories he collected during his long career were no accident.

Cavendish's victory on the shores of Lake Balaton:

The 3-day madness of the Giro in Hungary is over, the field will be in Italy and Sicily on Tuesday.

In our opening image: Hősök tere was a prominent location for the 2022 Giro. Photo: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák

Authors: Áron Hegyi, Péter Márványi, Zoltán Szendrei

Source: origo.hu