Central European Tour

After the team introduction of Tour de France also the organizers of the Tour de Hongie shall publish the list of participating teams.

The largest cycling event of Hungary in 2007 was one of the hardest events of the history of Tours with the strongest participants ever. After 2008 the international outfield shall be extended further continental professional teams. The Cycling 2000 Foundation commits itself intensely to make possible the cycling race in our country with the participation of nearly half dozen countries besides the traditional cyclists.

This year shall have special significance. The cycling sport has acquired 3 fixed quotas for the Olympic Games of Peking and two other cyclists can participate theoretically, which is one of the greatest successes of the past decades. Besides with the countless additional amateur and professional sport events throughout the season we hope that the 35th Tour de Hongrie shall arrive to a worthy jubilee.

Perspectives for the future:

In the near future, with the further development of the race, the regions of neighbouring countries with Hungarian population can be interconnected therefore a „Middle-East European Tour” can be organized. At present the negotiations are in progress with Poland, Ukraine, Serbia and Romania about the possibility of connection and cooperation.

On 21st June, e.g. one month before the start of race a new one-day international cycling race shall be organized in Ruthenia that can enhance also the organization of a further section in 2009. The start of the Tour de Hongrie in Békés county to be expected as a curiosity, on the other hand, shall be regarded as a further step ahead due to vicinity of Romania and Serbia. In this year the Cycling Sport 2000 Foundation will participate actively in the organization of the classic race of Kassa-Tátra-Kassa lasting several days and having tradition for decades with a section to be organized in our country.

Route and race program:

The only domestic cycling race of this year is the Tour that shall cross the country border. The route shall go across 95 settlements, including 69 Hungarian and 26 Slovakian villages. In this year the host of the Slovakian section will be Miskolc and its sister-city will be Kassa.

Besides the developments outside of our country there shall be included 3 new Hungarian settlements in the route as starting or finishing villages. Lately there are more and more volunteers making easier the selection after due weighing to provide the optimal route within the framework of long term cooperation. In 2008 the race shall be started at Gyomaendrőd, the start of the first stage shall be organized at Balmazújváros a city with rich cycling traditions – while the debuting Bükkszék shall host the „king stage” of the race.

The race considering both the average daily distance and the complete distance of last year will be the strongest challenge of the past decade; however the organisers – as far as the reports are concerned – made some relief in the terrain conditions. The outfield after a plane circular track shall return into the mountain again before the finish at Sátoraljaújhely to go towards the Slovakian section along the same route as year before.

With its 230 km length the „king stage” of this year will be the fourth section with a finish at Bükkszék. However the forenoon of the last day will surely keep surprises. The 500 m level difference along the last 10 km section and the 15% ascending section of 600 m length may have serious affect on or even completely modify the final result of the race. Finally the large success of the last year, e.g. the circular track competition of Miskolc which is the closing accord of the series of competition will follow where large number of very enthusiastic fans will cheer up the still remaining participants of the race.

Race HQ, Gyomaendrőd, July 21. 2008 Monday

Team manager's meeting, Gyomaendrőd July, 22. 2008 Tuesday

Stage 1, Gyomaendrőd-Gyomaendrőd, 79,2 km July 22. 2008 Tuesday

Stage 2, Balmazújváros-Sátoraljaújhely, 183,7 km July 23. 2008 Wednesday

Stage 3, Slovenské N. M.-Kosice, 138,0 km July 24. 2008 Thursday

Stage 4, Sátoraljaújhely-Bükkszék, 232,2 km July 25. 2008 Friday

Half-stage 5, Bükkszék-Bükkszentkereszt, 131,6 km July 26. 2008 Saturday

Half-stage 6, Miskolc-Miskolc, 69,6 km July 26. 2008 Saturday

Entered teams:

From 23 teams of 13 nations (including 7 professional teams with UCI registration) and 135 cyclists shall compete in our country, with the following teams as certain participants, including the TT3 teams of 2 PROTOUR team MILRAM and SAUNIER DUVAL (see ATLAS-ROMER'S HAUSBACKEREI):

Considering these circumstances it is not surprising that the international interests about the race are growing to significant level, the bilingual home page of the race is visited by several thousands of people from 5 continents and 53 countries. The domestic sports friends can follow up the events continuously from the summaries of national TV programs, national and regional papers issued in large number of copies and the professional internet media.

For the majority of teams the race means the last serious weighing before the Olympic Games of Peking, therefore all participants shall delegate their best team racers.

Considering the professional UCI continental teams having registered until now it has to be mentioned that two Austrian teams will participate. The new teams of the winner of 2007, Andrew BRADLEY, and the winner of 2006 (first placed in the last year mountain scoring race) Martin RISKA, the RC Arbö Resch&Frisch Gourmetfein Wels with 2008 U23 Austrian Road Champion Martin SCÖFFMANN.

The new team of our talented international player Olivér SCHIPP the Arbö KTM-Junkers shall participate this year, and his team-mate last year's white yersey and third in the individual general classification (secon placed in the Austrian U23 Road Championship) Stefan PÖLL.

Also very strong is the ancillary team of the well known PROTOUR, e.g. the Continetal Team Milram, with Jean-Mitja SCHLÜTER the only non-PROTOUR rider in the German Road Championship best 20. The Atlas Römer’s Hausbackerei professional team will participate from part of Swiss where the International Cycling Association (UCI) reside. The team of the Swiss Road Champion's Marcell WYSS will repeat the win of Kurt STETNER in 1933? One thing is sure that no teams from Swiss have taken part in this race for the last several decades.

The only professional team with Bulgarian registration the Cycling Club Bourgas with new cyclists will certainly fight for one of the awarded places.

The Cycling Team Jo Piels team shall compete also in our country with racers that won different section awards. And after a good decade of break we will welcome in Hungary one of the strongest professional teams of Middle-Europe, e.g. the Slovenian Sava Kranj. The team of the Slovenian Road Champion Gasper SVAB and the fourth placed Nik BURJEK.

Weltour Polska are regarded as traditional participants. In 2007 Tomasz LESNIAK won the first place of king stage with the latter team.

The Austria Denzel Cliff will also participate which is an Austrian team that has been regarded as certain participant of the Hungarian Round Robin Cycling Race and last year it took the white jersey due to win of Stefan PÖLL, 21, for the best rank below 23 years.

Also can make some surprise so as the team of the veteran mountain specialist Anatoliy VARVARUK, the Puris Camen Pazin team with the U23 Croatian Road and ITT Championships secon and third placed riders (RADOIC Bruno, Nikola MOGOROVIC).

Our country will be represented by the Atlantis Casino, directed by our former professional rider Csaba SZEKERES (junior world ITT championship 5th place) who is going to terminate his active carrier, the Giant-Gyömrő, e.g. the team of Gyömrő, the past year host of the start of race with the talented international racer István MÉSZÁROS who shall join the team for the period of the race and the brilliant track racer Krisztián LOVASSY (5th place on the Point Race World Champioship). The team of Balázs SZÓRÁDI with one the most splendid results of his carrier and success at the king stage last year the FTC.

And last but not least NATIONAL TEAM OF SERBIA will arrive to Hungary with "B" World Championship bronze medallist Dragan SPASIC and the talented professional rider who won a lot in the last few years stages - DÉR Zsolt.

Profile of the stages:

Stage 1 (Gyomaendrőd – Gyomaendrőd) 96 km

Stage 2 (Balmazújváros – Sátoraljaújhely) 183,7 km

Stage 3 (Slovenské Nové Mesto – Kosice) 138,0 km

Stage 4 (Sátoraljaújhely – Bükkszék) 232,9 km

Half-stage 5 (Bükkszék - Bükkszentkereszt) 131,6 km

Half-stage 6 (Miskolc - Miskolc) 69,6 km