The Tour de Mátra in Gyöngyös marked Hungary’s first-ever event in the UCI Gran Fondo World Series, attracting riders from across Europe for a challenging weekend combining a fast individual time trial and a demanding mountain-top Gran Fondo finish on Kékestető, Hungary’s highest peak. The event featured a 19 km time trial on Friday before the Gran Fondo and Medio Fondo races on Sunday, both finishing atop the iconic summit at 1,014 metres.
Friday’s individual time trial saw Hungarian riders dominate the men’s competition. László Zaráy clocked the fastest time of the day, covering the 19 km course in 22 minutes and 57 seconds. His compatriot Dániel Szalay claimed second place, 36 seconds behind, while Gergely Somogyi completed an all-Hungarian podium, finishing 57 seconds adrift of the winner.
The women’s time trial was won by Anneleen Bosma, who produced an impressive ride to stop the clock at 26 minutes and 17 seconds. Bosma finished 38 seconds ahead of Martyna Wiśniewska, while Oliwia McFarlane secured third place, 1 minute and 22 seconds behind the winner.
Former professional rider Johnny Hoogerland from the Netherlands was the best in the granfondo on Sunday. A leading group of eight riders, featuring competitors from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Netherlands, stayed together deep into the race. Several continental team riders were also present at the front, although they were not eligible for the UCI Gran Fondo World Series classification.
As the road tilted upwards towards the summit finish, Hoogerland launched the decisive move and crossed the line alone to claim victory. Poland’s Jan Miazga finished second, 21 seconds behind the Dutchman, while fellow Pole Łukasz Janowski secured third place at 39 seconds
In the women’s competition, riders contested the shorter 94 km Medio Fondo, which also served as a qualification event for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships. Austria’s Aliz Ambrusics proved to be the strongest rider of the day, taking the overall victory.
