Tim Merlier asserted his dominance in the first stage of the Tour de Hongrie, the Gyula - Békéscsaba stage of 143.1 km. The experienced Belgian sprinter from Soudal Quick-Step beat Colombian Molano from UAE Team Emirates and German Bauhaus from Bahrain Victorious. Fourth place went to Simone Buda from Solme Olmo, sixth to Nicolò Parisini from Pinarello-Q36.5, and eighth to Lorenzo De Longhi from Campana Imballaggi.

Present in Hungary for the third time in five years, Soudal Quick-Step took control of the peloton as soon as a breakaway formed, ensuring that the advantage of the two attackers did not exceed two minutes on the roads leading to the city, which returned to being a stage finish for the first time in 22 years.

After reabsorbing the attackers 11 kilometers from the finish, the Belgian team maintained control of the situation, increasing the pace and keeping Tim Merlier well positioned. The last two men of the train were Alberto Dainese and Bert Van Lerberghe, who did excellent work for the former European champion. Merlier made the most of the impeccable lead-out from his teammates, launching his sprint just 200 meters from the finish line and imposing his superiority in the final sprint in Békéscsaba, where he claimed his 45th victory in Soudal Quick-Step colors.

"I'm happy with this victory! The team did excellent work today and I want to thank the guys. We got a bit lost in the final, but we weren't worried. Alberto and Bert did superb work, then Bert brought me into a perfect position 500 meters from the finish and I simply opened my sprint at the right moment. It's nice to have three victories this season, especially since they all came within just one month. And now I'm enjoying this yellow jersey..."

FINAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Merlier Tim (Soudal Quick-Step) in 02:52:56
2. Molano Sebastian (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
3. Bauhaus Phil (Bahrain Victorious)
4. Buda Simone (Solme Olmo Arvedi)
5. Kanter Max (XDS Astana Team)
6. Parisini Nicolò (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team)
7. Gaviria Fernando (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
8. De Longhi Lorenzo (Campana Imballaggi Geo&Tex Trentino)
9. Stites Tyler (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling)
10. Karpati Balint (Hungary)