2020 Giro d'Italia to start in Hungary's capital Budapest
Giro d'Italia will be the first Grand Tour to visit the central European country
The 2020 Giro d’Italia will start in Budapest, Hungary the countries capital. It will be the 14th time the Giro has taken place outside Itay, with plans for the first three stages to take place in Hungary.
"After Israel we wanted to bring it back to a wonderful European city, and Budapest has been becoming more and more popular for Italian visitors and tourists," race director Mauro Regni told the press.
Rumours are the first stage will be around the city and two susequent stages further afield in the Hungarian countryside, which is a cyclist's paradise.
After the first three stages in Hungary,the race will return to Italy, another step in making the Giro a more international race.
Hungary is around 550 kms away from northern Italy, so an extra race day is planned for the Giro's race convoy and village to head south east.
Marseille in France had also been in the running to host the 2020 start.
Rumours are the Giro in Hungary deal could be linked to Hungarian sponsor Kométa, an Italian-owned meat processing company that has invested millions in expanding it's business in Hungary in recent years.
Mariusz Revesz, a Hungarian government official, said his country had earmarked $27 million euros for the 2020 Giro d'Italia start.
The Hungarian capital has attracted a lot of international events recently, hosting the World Table Tennis Championships later this month and four games of Euro 2020 soccer.
Already confirmed is a 2021 start for the Giro d'Italia on home soil on the Italian island of Sicily, which again will feature two to three opening stages.
