Giro d'Italia 2022 to start with three stages in Hungary
Nov 04 2021 03:01 am CET
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The organisation of the Giro d'Italia has announced the start stages of the 2022 edition of the race, which will take place in Hungary.
The country was set to host the Grande Partenza for the 2020 edition of the Corsa Rosa, but the Covid-19 pandemic stopped those plans. Two years later, Hungary will welcome the first three stages of the race, the 14th time that it will kick off on foreign soil.
The 105th edition of the Giro d'Italia will start on May 6 with a 195-kilometre stage between Budapest and Visegrád, on a flat course with steep final kilometres that will likely finish in a sprint among a selection of riders, and one of them will be the first wearer of the Pink Jersey.
The next day, the riders will face a 9.2-kilometre individual time trial, with a start at the Heroes' Square of Pest and a finish on the historical centre of Buda. The route will have a series of twists and turns and have a climbing fining, partly on cobblestones, that leads to Buda Square.
The Hungarian adventure of the Italian grand tour will finish on Sunday, May 8 with a stage from Kaposvar and Balatonfüred, with a finish by the Lake Balaton, the sea of Hungary. This stage will likely feature the first bunch sprint of the race.
"It brings me great satisfaction to be back in Hungary to announce the Grande Partenza of the Corsa Rosa for 2022," said Paolo Bellini, CEO of RCS Sport. "From this nation that loves sport, and that will certainly appreciate the Giro d'Italia, we can only expect a unique welcome. We have continued in these two years to work with all the Hungarian institutions in order to propose the debut stages of the 105th Giro d'Italia that for the fourteenth time will start from abroad.
"Three stages, two for sprinters and an individual time trial in the heart of Budapest, will highlight the beauty of Hungary and the Giro itself thanks to images broadcast across 200 countries around the world."
"This year, one of the most exciting things happened to me - I wore the Maglia Rosa," added Hungarian rider Attila Valter (Groupama-FDJ). "It’s a feeling you cannot compare to anything else. Next May, all my fellow Hungarians will be able to feel some of this excitement and get much closer to cycling. In my eyes, it's the most important sports event ever in my country, and I really wish for just two things.
"One is that I can start the race, and repeat something really great in 2022 at my home country. And secondly, which is more important, I hope all the Hungarian people will find joy in this race, and that the whole country can benefit from this amazing event."
