As was predictable, the first stage of the 46th Tour de Hongrie, the Budapest-Győr of 210.3 km, concluded in a sprint, and Danny van Poppel (Red Bull BORA hansgrohe) came out on top, thanks to a long sprint that allowed him to finish ahead of Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla), Marc Brustenga (Equipo Kern Pharma), and Matteo Malucelli (XDS Astana).

The Dutchman, often used as a lead-out rider in the past, broke a drought that had lasted 614 days, as he had not celebrated since September 2023 when he won the sixth stage of the Tour of Britain.

THE RACE. The stage was characterized by the breakaway of four brave riders: Belgians Siebe Deweirdt (Team Flanders Baloise) and Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen - Cibel Clementines), Hungarian Janos Pelikan (Team United Shipping), and Italian Matteo Ambrosini (MBH Bank Ballan CSB Colpack). With 15 kilometers to go, Vanthourenhout and Pelikan surrendered, while Deweirdt and Ambrosini continued their effort, but the peloton inexorably reeled them in 5.5 kilometers from the finish. At this point, the big maneuvers began to approach the sprint, with UAE Team Emirates and Jayco-AlUla particularly aggressive at the front of the peloton to launch Juan Sebastian Molano and Dylan Groenewegen respectively. However, Danny van Poppel took the lead in the last curve 300 meters from the finish. Noticing a slight gap behind him from Molano's last man, he went straight to the line and, resisting the desperate chase of all other sprinters, conquered the 21st victory of his career, the tenth this season for Red Bull BORA hansgrohe.

Behind him, Teutenberg and Groenewegen finished on the day's podium, not without some complaints. Tomorrow, in the Veszprém-Siófok stage of 177.5 km, they could try to take revenge, along with Malucelli and Luca Colnaghi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizan), who finished fifth and ninth respectively, being the only two Italians in the top ten today.

FINISH ORDER

1. Danny van Poppel (NED/Red Bull-Bora) - 4:54:18

2. Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER/Lidl-Trek) - s.t.

3. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/Jayco-AlUla) - s.t.

4. Marc Brustenga (ESP/Kern Pharma) - s.t.

5. Matteo Malucelli (ITA/XDS-Astana) - s.t.

6. Mihajlo Stolić (SRB/United Shipping) - s.t.

7. Phil Bauhaus (GER/Bahrain-Victorious) - s.t.

8. Sam Welsford (AUS/Red Bull-Bora) - s.t.

9. Luca Colnaghi (ITA/VF Group-Bardiani CSF) - s.t.

10. Matyas Kopecky (CZE/Novo Nordisk) - s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Danny van Poppel (NED/Red Bull-Bora) - 4:54:18

2. Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER/Lidl-Trek) at 4"

3. Janos Pelikan (HUN/Team United Shipping) at 4"

4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED/Jayco-AlUla) at 6"

5. Michael Vanthourenhout (BEL/Pauwels Sauzen - Cibel Clementines) at 6"

6. Matteo Ambrosin (ITA/MBH Bank Ballan CSB) at 9"

7. Siebe Deweirdt (BEL/Team Flanders Baloise) at 9"

8. Marc Brustenga (ESP/Kern Pharma) at 10"

9. Matteo Malucelli (ITA/XDS-Astana) at 10"

10. Mihajlo Stolić (SRB/United Shipping) at 10"