His name is Attila and that alone could be enough to describe the determination shown by the Hungarian boy in taking the pink jerseyWhat is most surprising, however, is his confidence in speaking about himself and his intentions. Indeed, if this morning at the start he had said he wanted to conquer the record, the lucidity with which he handled the finale was worthy of applauseHe started fourth in the standings, one minute behind De Marchi. And when the Friulian raised the white flag, the plan was triggered in his head. While the commentators counted down the seconds of Bernal and Evenepoel and the photographers had eyes only for them, From the back, the young Hungarian gritted his teeth. And even though his white shirt certainly didn't go unnoticed, He rowed hard to the finish in the same small group as Vlasov, Carthy and Yates and took the pink jersey with an 11-second advantage over Evenepoel.
«I'm sorry I gave a disappointment for those who were banking on Remco and Egan – he says when we point out the singular situation – they they will certainly have other opportunities to have funMy goal for the day was to do just that, but I only started to believe it with 2 kilometers to goI fought it, putting my life into it, and I'm happy that in the end this reward came."
Magyar pride
Hungarian born in 1998, originally from Csomor on the outskirts of Budapest, he couldn't wait to see the 2020 Giro start from his city, but the appointment is only postponed.
«I hope that next year – he says – I will have the chance to be part of the Giro group again, because we will race in wonderful places. Cycling is growing hereWe need more continental teams to allow the kids to grow, but the level is good. The Tour of Hungary started yesterday, a race I won last year. We're neither French nor Italian, but that doesn't mean we're weaker. We're strong young people from the heart of Europe.And even if they take the jersey away from me, I'll be ready to fight for other stages. The surprises from me in this Giro aren't over."
No calculations
What's appealing is his directness. He even admits he didn't do much calculations, and perhaps his mountain bike background played a part in that.
«I didn't look at the numbers as we were going up – he says – I think I did a good performance, but I don't know how much. I didn't know anything and didn't look at the computer on the bikeI wanted the pink jersey and I knew I had to go all out. Period. If I really believe in something, the mind moves the limit forward and at that point nothing is impossible.. So I'm not ashamed to say that my long-term ambition is win a grand GiroWhat happened today and the defense of the primacy in the next few days will be a great step in my growth, waiting to be able to come and aim for victory."
Double dedication
He started on a mountain bike, only moving to the road as a junior. He still raced for fun, but now he works hard to improve. As an U23, he was included in a continental project of the Hungarian federation, then He entered the orbit of CCC Development and from there he rose to the WorldTour team.
«Then when it became known that the team was closing – he says – I got in touch with this team.It didn't take them long to convince me, They made me feel that they cared and it was a very good choice.. For this reason I dedicate this shirt to them and to my father who allowed me to follow this path. And from tomorrow I believe that the second part of my career will begin».
