The 2020 Giro d’Italia will begin in Budapest with another two stages also being held in Hungary, organizers announced on Monday.
It will be the 14th time that the race will start outside of Italy with Athens, Amsterdam as well as Belfast among those cities to have hosted the Grande Partenza. Last year’s edition started in Jerusalem — the first time one of cycling’s three major races began outside of Europe — with two more stages held in Israel. “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 reporters. AFP
Organizers said further details, including where the stages will be held, will be given in June.
This year, the Giro — the first of the year’s three Grand Tours — starts in Bologna on 11 May and finishes on 2 June in Verona.
Team Sky’s Chris Froome won last year’s Giro but the Briton will not defend his title focusing instead on becoming only the fifth rider to win five Tour de France crowns. In 2017, Budapest hosted the World Swimming Championships.
The Hungarian capital also hosts the World Table Tennis Championships later this month and four games at Euro 2020.
Mariusz Revesz, a Hungarian government official, said his country had earmarked 7.8 billion forint (€24 million; $27 million) for the Giro.
