Hungary turned pink 100 days before the start of the Giro d’Italia
The 2022 Giro d’Italia road bike race will start on May 6 from Hungary. One hundred days before the Great Start, on January 26, several cities in Hungary were in pink. In the Heroes’ Square in Budapest, the event called Night of the Pink Lights was held, where the participants rode 100 spinning bikes in pink jerseys with two excellent cyclists from Hungary, Attila Valter and Márton Dina.
As reported, The Giro d’Italia will start in Hungary on May 6, 2022, and this will be the fourteenth time in the history of the Italian circuit that the Grand Start will start abroad. The 105th Giro d’Italia begins with three sections in Hungary, so between 6 and 9 May 2022, Hungary will host one of the largest sporting events in the world.
According to tradition, 100 days before the Big Start, the entire route of the Giro turned pink, so on January 26, both in Italy and in Hungary, the sights of the cities touching the race stages were in pink light.
On this day, public buildings, public squares, parks, statues, historical monuments and churches in 37 Hungarian cities shone in pink – referring to the iconic pink jersey of the Giro d’Italia. The three Hungarian sections cover a total distance of 405.2 kilometers, and along it, the fountain of the Twin Cities in Nagykanizsa and the well of cyclists, the Festetics Castle in Keszthely, the Vaszary Gallery in Balatonfüred, and the Bence Hill in Venice are illuminated with pink light. In Baracska the Church of All Saints, in Kaposvár the Cathedral of the Assumption, in Visegrád the Citadel, in Esztergom the Town Hall, in Budapest the Puskás Arena, the building of the Danube Arena, the Palace of Arts and the Statue of Liberty.
On Wednesday, there will also be a pink light in the Heroes’ Square in Budapest
The Night of the Pink Lights event was co-organized by Giro Hungary 2022 and Spinning Hungary.
where 100 spinning bikes, hot tea and breathtaking views awaited those interested. Two great cyclists from Hungary, Attila Valter and Márton Dina, took part in the event. Participants rode in pink jerseys with the two excellent athletes, and it was also possible to take photos with the two excellences, and the original Giro trophy was also on site, so photos could be taken from the cup. Lupo, the Giro mascot, also attended the event.
The ambassadors of Giro Hungary 2022, Szabina Tápai, Gianni and Tilla, also kept the mood up. The three of them took an active part in the event, while the organizers did their best to make the Giro d’Italia an experience for those interested.
“It was extremely motivating to take part in this joint ride and to see the obsession of hobby cyclists up close. It was especially good that the last kilometers of the joint training were recommended to Marc and me. In the run-up to this spring, in preparation for the spring-summer race season, I will surely remember this one, during which I gained a lot of spiritual strength. ” – Attila Valter told Giro Hungary. The 23-year-old cycling race is scheduled to start at the Giro d’Italia from 6 to 26 May.
As we wrote, Hungary could have originally hosted the Grand Start of the Giro d’Italia and its first three stages in 2020. However, the major sporting event was missed due to the coronavirus epidemic, while in 2021, due to the uncertainty of the epidemic, all 21 stages – more than 3,400 kilometers – were held in Italy.
Attila Valter finished sixth in the fourth stage of last year’s Giro d’Italia, taking the lead among those under 25, so he was able to wear the white leotard for five days. He also jumped to the front in the complex race, so he was able to wear the pink jersey for the lead rider for three days. He performed a sport-historical act, as no Hungarian has been able to wear white and pink jerseys so far.
The first three stages of the 2022 Giro d’Italia in Hungary:
Stage 1: Budapest-Visegrád, 195 km long distance (Friday, May 6)
This section is characterized by a level difference of 900 meters. The section dotted with ascents ends in the magnificent Danube Bend. The route passes through Székesfehérvár and Esztergom, then the competitors leave the Danube bank and arrive at the Citadel. In the center of Visegrád, there will be 5 km of cyclists on an average 5% slope to reach the Royal Palace at the top of the hill. The results will be announced here and the pink leotard will be handed over in 2022 for the first time.
Stage 2: Budapest-Budapest, 9.2 km long individual race (Saturday, May 7)
This stage is characterized by a level difference of 150 meters. The individual time trial starts from the Heroes’ Square, then the cyclists start to the Danube by touching Andrássy út and Nyugati tér. Many twists will characterize the route, with the rivers reaching the banks of a river. They pass in front of the Parliament building and cross the Margaret Bridge to continue the fight on the Buda side. Arriving at the Buda Castle, the athletes will also have to contend with a level difference of 150 meters, a short section of more than 10% ascent and a cobblestone section. The finishing and award ceremony will take place at the Holy Trinity Square, at the Matthias Church.
Stage 3: Kaposvár – Balatonfüred, 201 km long distance (Sunday, May 8)
At this stage, the competitors will have to deal with a level difference of 890 meters. The third, longest stage will take place in Hungary’s prominent tourist destination, the Lake Balaton region. The section dedicated to the beauties of the area starts from Kaposvár, and during the section the competitors reach Lake Balaton on smaller slopes, touching the thermal water lake of Hévíz. During the stage, there will be a partial hair in Nagykanizsa and Badacsony. The last 50 km is on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, followed by a mountain hair at the foot of the Tihany Abbey, and the riders are expected to arrive at the finish line on the main road of Balatonfüred. It’s going to be a quick stage, it’s going to be the arena for sprinters.
Opening picture: Lupo, next to the Giro d’Italia mascot, cyclist Attila Valter rides a spinning bike in front of the Millennium Monument in the Capital Heroes illuminated in pink 100 days before the start of the Giro d’Italia road cycling tour in Hungary on January 26, 2022. On that day, 37 cities virtually picked up the color of the competition, pink. MTI / Cosmetic Bag Solid