Cycling: There are two Hungarians at the Giro for the first time

Vágólapra másolva!
2021.05.05. 23:39
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Márton Dina is the third Hungarian to compete in the three-week tournament (Photo: MTI/Boglárka Bodnár, archive)
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Márton Dina has joined the EOLO-Kometa squad for the Giro d'Italia that starts on Saturday. For the first time, two Hungarians will take part in the same three-week stage race, the Hungarian Telegraph Office (MTI) reported.

 

In addition to 25-year-old Dina, Groupama-FDJ's already-announced cyclist Attila Valter will also participate, so the two Hungarian podium finishers of the 2019 Tour de Hongrie are competing in the 104th Italian tour that will last until May 30, MTI wrote.

ATTILA VALTER PARTICIPATES FOR THE SECOND TIME
Last year, with CCC at that time, Attila Valter finished in 27th place overall; his best stage result was the 9th position in the penultimate stage. He was the second Hungarian cyclist to take part in a three-week race. Previously, László Bodrogi participated at a Grand Tour seven times: at the Tour de France in 2002, 2003, and 2005, at the Vuelta a España in 2004, in 2006 and 2007, and at the Giro d'Italia in 2007. His best result was a third place in one of his time trials in his first French circuit, the telegraph office reported.

According to the original plans, Valter would have been the helper for French cyclist Thibaut Pinot who finished third at the Tour de France in 2014. However, the 30-year-old team captain resigned due to back pain he has been having since last August. The Hungarian cyclist is in great shape for the Italian race, having escaped in three stages in Volta a Catalunya in March. He finished twice in the top 10 with eighth and third place. He also achieved the overall 27th position at the Tour of the Alps in April.

Dina is the third Hungarian cyclist to attend a Grand Tour. Last year only Valter competed, but before him, László Bodrogi, world silver and bronze medalist in the individual time trial, had taken part in the sport's top races seven times.

Dina put it this way: he is very excited, but he is also a little afraid of the Giro because it is a massive race. He revealed that his participation was made sure on Sunday night. In addition, when MTI reached him, he was already at the airport departing for Milan to then travel to Turin on Wednesday for the time trial on Saturday. Alberto Contador's team, the Italian-registered pro continental EOLO-Kometa, will start in the Giro as a wildcard, and as Dina pointed out, escaping will be very important to the team, so they will try to get someone to the front in almost every stage.

Dina will join six Italian and one British cyclist in the team. He believes he will play a helping role; he will try to keep 2018 Tour de Hongrie winner Manuel Belletti, Francesco Gavazzi, or Vincenzo Albanese in a good position on the flat and the hill stages, respectively.

Regarding his own goals, MTI quoted the athlete that he would definitely like to finish the race and attempt at least one escape.

“There is nothing worse when someone finishes a race without even showing themselves. I don't want to be that kind of person,” said Dina who finished second in the Tour of the Alps' “Best Climber Classification” in April. Although he was sick after the race, he feels he is in good shape that even the numbers measured during training also support.

Concerning the coronavirus tests, he said he went through a test on Monday which follows another one on Wednesday. In the first days of the competition, quick tests while during the two days off PCR tests await them, MTI wrote.

Translated by Vanda Orosz

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