• 2026-05-11
• Tour de Hongrie

Everything you need to know about the 47th Tour de Hongrie

5 stages, 19 teams, 114 riders and 836 km - here's everything you need to know about Tour de Hongrie 2026. 

Tour de Hongrie is once again listed as a ProSeries-category race on the International Cycling Union (UCI) calendar. This is the second-highest level in the sport, just one tier below the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia. The race will once again be held in parallel with the first week of the Italian stage race, from 13 to 17 May.

This year, Gyula will host the Grand Start of the Tour de Hongrie—marking the race's return to Békés County after 20 years. In addition to the start of the first stage, the team presentation will also take place at the foot of Gyula Castle on May 12. The program begins at 4:00 p.m.—visitors can look forward to exhibitors, stage performances, and exciting cycling activities on-site, as well as a professional workshop at Almásy Castle. The team presentation starts at 6:00 p.m.

The 2026 route focuses on southern Hungary. The finish of the first stage will take place in Békéscsaba on 13 May. The next day, the peloton will cross the Great Plain: the route takes the peloton from Szarvas to Paks, where an uphill final kilometer could make things difficult for the sprinters. On Friday, May 15, another flat stage follows (this time between Kaposvár and Szekszárd), and then on Saturday comes the race’s queen stage. Following the start in Mohács, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács, the riders will have to conquer the steep climb of Bárány Road in Pécs four times before crossing the finish line in front of the zoo. The race concludes in the European Region of Sport: Veszprém and Lake Balaton were awarded this distinguished title in 2026. Following the start in Balatonalmádi and two hilly circuits, the fate of the 47th Tour de Hongrie trophy will be decided in “the city of queens.” All information about the route (maps, timetables, elevation profiles, GPX files, route details, and interesting facts) can be found at this link.

 

This time, the field consists of 114 riders from 19 teams. Seven of the sport’s top WorldTeams are on the start list: XDS Astana, Lidl–Trek, UAE Team Emirates, Jayco AlUla, Bahrain Victorious, Soudal Quick-Step, and NSN Pro Cycling. The lineup is rounded out by 7 ProTeams, 3 Continental Teams, one Cyclo-Cross ProTeam, and the Hungarian national team. You can read more about the teams here.

The defending champion won’t be at the start this time: Ecuador’s Harold Martín López will be competing in the Giro d’Italia. The top contenders for the overall victory are Benoit Cosnefroy (UAE Team Emirates), who is having an outstanding season; Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious), the Giro Next Gen winner and Slovenian champion; and six-time Australian champion Luke Plapp (Jayco AlUla). The winner will be awarded the Visit Balaton 365 yellow jersey.

As for sprinters, there will be no shortage of world-class stars this time around either. Among the top riders preparing for the Tour de France, Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) stands out—the former European champion and seven-time Grand Tour stage winner is one of the world’s best sprinters. His biggest challengers are Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), who won two stages and the points classification back in 2021, Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates), winner of the last stage in 2025, and Fernando Gaviria (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA), former points classification winner of the Giro d’Italia.The winner of the points classification will be awarded the green jersey sponsored by Skoda and Europcar.

In three of the last four editions, Team Flanders–Baloise has claimed the red jersey of Cofidis, awarded to the winner of the mountains classification. Siebe Deweirdt won the category in both 2024 and 2025, and the Belgian rider will have a chance to go for a hat trick in 2026—a feat no one has ever achieved in the history of the race.

Fifteen Hungarian riders will compete in the 2026 Tour de Hongrie. The rider who finishes highest in the overall standings will be awarded the Magyar Közút white jersey. The top favorite for this title is the race’s most recent Hungarian winner: Attila Valter is returning to the peloton after a six-year hiatus. The biggest challenger to the Bahrain Victorious star could be the reigning Hungarian champion, former Tour de Hongrie silver medalist, and four-time white jersey winner, Márton Dina (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort). 

The provisional entry list can be found here.

Thanks to our international media distribution partner, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), footage of the race will once again be broadcast to more than 150 countries around the world. The final two hours of the race will be available to watch live on the HBO Max streaming service, while daily highlights will air on Eurosport’s television channels. 

Our Roadbook, a guide containing the most important information about the event, is once again available in digital format – you can download it here.

You can also follow the live position of the caravan at tdh.fleet.hu.