The ten-round Nations’ Cup series featured both one-day and multi-day events, with Hungary hosting a two-day stage race. Among the events were the legendary junior classic, the Paris-Roubaix, and one of the most popular youth multi-day race, the Czech Junior Peace Race.
The Canadian Tour de l’Abitibi coincided with the Medzinárodné dni cyklistiky Dubnica nad Váhom in Slovakia in mid-July, where an individual time trial and two road stages awaited the cyclists. The chrono was won by Czech rider Pavel Sumpik, followed by a celebration at the end of the first road stage by one of the home team’s greatest talents, Matthias Schwarzbacher, who took the overall lead. The seventeen year-old cyclist retained the jersey on the final day. Schwarzbacher was followed by Italy’s Enea Sambinello in second and Slovenia’s Erazem Valjavec in third. The Hungarian national team was also in the peloton, with Bálint Feldhoffer finishing in the best position, 46th.
The Watersley Junior Challenge took place in the Netherlands between 28 and 30 July. The event, which took place in the immediate surroundings of one of Europe’s most famous cycling parks, featured an individual time trial and two road stages. Oscar Chamberlain (Australia) was the fastest in the 5.6 kilometre, essentially flat chrono, and retained his overall lead in the two subsequent stages to take the yellow jersey.
In mid-August, the home Hungarian event saw the Norwegian national team dominate, with Felix Orn-Kristoff winning all three stages to finish top of the overall standings. The best Hungarian cyclist was Zsombor Balogh.
The World Cup series concluded again in Korea with the five-day Tour de DMZ. The final stage was decided by a three-man breakaway, with American Henry Neff (EF Education-ONTO) the eventual winner, followed by Dutchman Karst Hayma (Gepla-Watersley R+D Road Team) in second place and Finland’s Kasper Borremans, now signed to Bahrain-Victorious WorldTeam, in third.
In the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) national rankings ahead of the European Championships, Norway is first, ahead of France and Italy, with Hungary in 23rd place.
