'Wonderful to see' – Huge support from excited Hungarian fans for home town riders

Hungarian fans were out in force to show support for their riders at the Giro d’Italia.

With the first three stages of this year’s race taking place in the country, supporters lined the streets of Budapest where the Stage 2 Time Trial was being held.

Barnabas Peak of Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert was the first of the local riders to go off and was greeted with a rapturous roar from the crowd.

“They’re ten deep at certain stretches” remarked Rob Hatch on commentary. “Wonderful to see.”

“The national flag is being waved everywhere. What a moment for this man – whatever the result”.

Peak posted a time for 12:29 which ultimately wasn’t enough to trouble the leaders but was delighted with the reception from the fans.

“It was impossible not to give my all with this crowd. It’s crazy,” he said afterwards.

“I could hear them the whole time and it gave me a lot of strength. I’m really happy, I did not expect anything like this, it means a lot.”

Fellow Hungarian rider Erik Fetter received a similar reaction when he went off later in the afternoon.

The Eolo–Kometa rider finished on 12:28 but fans still cheered him over the finish line with great enthusiasm.

The third and final Hungarian rider Attila Valter was also greeted with a huge ovation as he went off.

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