Sam Welsford sprinted to victory on the first stage of the Tour of Hungary 2024. The Australian sprinter won the sprint characterized by a very ugly crash in the belly of the sprinting peloton. Behind the Bora-hansgrohe rider, very young Samuel Quaranta (MBH Bank Colpack Ballan) and Brescia’s Jakub Mareczko (Corratec-Vini Fantini) earned excellent placings, respectively second and third on the finish line in Hajdúszoboszló. Welsford now leads the overall classification of the Magyar stage race ahead of Italians Quaranta and Mareczko.

Stage Highlights

Immediately animating the day’s breakaway are Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Balázs Rósza (Epronex), Victor Filutás (Hungary) and Martin Voltr (Pierre Baguette), to whom the peloton gives some freedom. Recorded a crash, in which Peter Sagan (Pierre Baguette) is also involved, the situation stabilizes, with Astana Qazaqstan and Jayco-AlUla leading the group, but without particularly forcing it.

With 58 kilometers to go, the escapees, who have a 1 minute 35 second lead, enter the final circuit, which will have to be tackled three times. About 20 kilometers later Czech Martin Voltr gives it a try himself, attacking the breakaway companions and launching himself into a solo advance. With 25 kilometers to go, the main group caught up with the three chasers, while Voltr was in front all alone with an impressive 2 minutes and 22 seconds advantage.

At the beginning of the last lap, when there are 19 kilometers to the end of the race Voltr has only 1 minute and 8 seconds ahead of the chasing group pulled hard by Astana Qazaqstan, Bora-hansgrohe and Bahrain-Victorious. Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) won the sprint for second place at the flying finish, taking two precious bonus seconds. At -14 kilometers, the brave and now overwrought lone attacker has only an 18-second margin over the group, which is closing in on him and reabsorbs him less than 2 kilometers later. Now the men of Polti-Kometa and Lotto-Dstny also show up in front.

Fall in the belly of the peloton at -7 km, possibly caused by Peter Sagan (Pierre Baguette) moving to the side of the road due to a mechanical failure. The Slovak is soon back on the road after assistance from his flagship, and he re-enters the tail of the peloton at -3, but it will be difficult for him to climb back up in time to take part in the final sprint.

At -2, sprinters’ team trains began to scramble at the front of the peloton. With Jayco-AlUla taking the lead with 1,500 meters to go. Then it is Astana that forcefully takes the top positions as they pass under the red triangle in the last kilometer. Michael Mørkøv tries to launch Mark Cavendish, who sprints to the left, while a very ugly crash is generated on the right. Powerfully winning was a stunning Sam Welsford, closely followed by two Italians, the surprising Samuel Quaranta and the experienced Jakub Mareczko.