Márton Dina, second last year, returns with the highest ambitions to a Tour de Hongrie with a high level
41st Tour de Hongrie
From 29th August to 2nd September
Under normal circumstances, this year’s Tour of Hungary would have been the most special in history because it was overtaken by the Giro d’Italia in May to make the most of the pull of the Great Partenza from Budapest for the first time. But the coronavirus health emergency erupted around the world, all countries took different measures to control contagion and protect their health systems from collapse and the world of sport, like many other worlds, had to stop until better times. Without Giro, the Tour de Hongrie chose early to announce its postponement to a new date. On horseback between August and September, the Magyar round finally returns to the roads. But with some change.
With respect to the route announced at the beginning of the year, the order of some goals has changed. Now, in fact, the race will end on the roof of the country, as in 2019, at just over 1,100 metres above sea level: Mount Kekestetö. It has not been able to take advantage of the Giro d’Italia, but the peculiarities of the season, with many events postponed or suspended, have kept the Hungarian race in the front line of attraction for many structures. In fact, five World Tour structures and eight Continental Professionals will take part in this 2020. A lot of level, therefore, in thirteen of the twenty participating teams. In a race that is essential for one of its major sponsors, given its interests in the country, the Kometa-Xstra Cycling Team will go without any inferiority complex where a year ago it fought to the last goal for the absolute victory and left with a rider in the second place on the final podium.
The continental structure of the Alberto Contador Foundation is accustomed to competing against teams of higher category. That difference does not mean any burden when it comes to facing the objectives in Hungary: to be protagonists in the development of the race and, why not, to fight for the victory both in stages and in a general one in which last year Márton Dina finished second. For the Kometa-Xstra, however, the Magyar round is the start of a major challenge because, with the reorganization of the calendar and the coincidence in dates with another major objective as the Giro U23, its entire structure will double for the first time since its birth.
Precisely Dina will lead again a team that is configured around her figure without losing sight of certain circumstances of race that may occur or the struggle for massive arrivals. Along with Márton, the Hungarian will face the Danish Mathias Larsen, the Spanish Arturo Grávalos and Diego Pablo Sevilla and the Italians Giacomo Garavaglia and Riccardo Verza. “I’m looking forward to competing with my team-mates again,” said Dane Larsen recently, one of the team’s fastest men and looking forward to a race in which he can show his potential.
“Everything is totally different this year,” says Márton Dina. “But one thing hasn’t changed: this is the most important race for me and I want to be at the top both physically and mentally. The level of the Tour of Hungary this year is going to be much higher than the last editions, but I am convinced that we can achieve good results. Of course we are going to fight for it”, he adds. About the route, the Magyar already showed himself weeks ago when the changes in the order of the stages were confirmed. “They are not exactly the same as those presented at the time, but they are quite similar and in the end the general classification will be decided on the last stage, at the summit of Kekesteto”.
In Hungary, the Riojan Arturo Grávalos will make his debut as stagiaire: “I’ve been watching the route and it looks good. I think a rider like Márton will do very well. For my part, I hope to be able to help the team as much as possible. I’m looking forward to running with professional teams, but above all to seeing you in front of the World Tour teams and being able to see for yourself how good they really are. I think it’s a learning experience that will be very good for me in the future”.
The stages.
29 August: Esztergom-Esztergom (118 km).
30 August: Debrecen-Hajdúszoboszló (158 km).
31 August: Karcag-Nyíregyháza (182 km).
September 1: Sárospatak-Kazincbarcika (180 km).
September 2: Miskolc-Gyöngyös-Kékestető (188 km).
(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)
