Tour de Hongrie 2026 | Profiles, stages and main riders in the startlist

The 2026 Tour de Hongrie celebrates its 47th edition, firmly established on the international calendar as a UCI ProSeries 2.Pro event. The race runs from 13th to 17th of May over a total of 829 kilometers across five stages linking Gyula to Veszprém.

Across five days, the peloton faces a varied menu that blends opportunities for sprinters, demanding finishes, and terrain ripe for tactical moves, with a field that brings several top-tier teams and prominent international names.

The 2026 Tourde Hongrie will roll out from Békés County, a first since 2005. From Gyula, the race heads toward Kétegyháza and then to Békéscsaba, before looping back via Doboz. The peloton will complete two and a half laps to finish again in Békéscsaba. With 143 entirely flat kilometres, the wind could shape the race, though all signs point to the sprinters fighting for the first yellow jersey.

Szarvas will host a Tour de Hongrie départ for the first time, with the bunch covering a neutralized section along the Holt-Koros river before leaving the city. The stage finishes in Paks, which hosted a start in 2017 but debuts as a finish. The finale features a short but testing climb via Ujtemplom and Kishegyi streets, a new ending for everyone on the startlist.

Kaposvár is a Tour de Hongrie regular, with multiple starts and finishes on record, and it was also part of the 2022 Giro d’Italia Grande Partenza. Its Tour history stretches back to 1935.

Szekszárd, one of Hungary’s cycling hubs, returns to the route after more than two decades away. The city, renowned for its cycling and wine traditions, has staged major events such as the Gemenc Grand Prix and has seen the peloton only rarely in the race’s distant past.

Mohács will mark a special year in 2026 with the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács, and will debut as a Tour de Hondrie host alongside Gyula and Szarvas.

Pécs is one of the race’s key fixtures, with deep hosting experience. It will welcome its 14th finish and offers a demanding finale on the Lapis climb, highlighted by the Bárány Road sector. The city circuit includes intermediate sprints and has already delivered uphill finishes with recent wins by Marc Hirschi and Wout Poels.

The 2026 Tour de Hongrie concludes on 17.05 with a decisive stage between Balatonalmádi and Veszprém, within the region named “European Capital of Sport” 2026. The 147-kilometre route is highly demanding despite its length, with almost 2,000 metres of elevation gain and several key climbs, including Szentkirályszabadja and Gella, tackled multiple times. With three intermediate sprints and a leg-breaker profile, the day invites attacks and an unpredictable finale.

The startlist quality is again one of the Tour de Hongrie’s great draws, blending proven sprinters, puncheurs, and local riders eager to shine. Among the headline names is Tim Merlier, one of the peloton’s most reliable finishers, alongside Fernando Gaviria, a habitual force in bunch sprints. Albert Withen Philipsen also features as an emerging talent, while Benoit Cosnefroy brings versatility and the punch to excel on tougher finales.

Home hopes rest with Attila Valter, Hungary’s leading figure and one of the country’s most recognised riders, supported by youngsters such as Jakob Omrzel and Bálint Feldhoffer. Alongside them, riders like Alessandro Fancellu and Tim Torn Teutenberg round out a balanced field that points to an open race, with mixed stage profiles and multiple tactical options throughout the week.