Elżbieta Kowalska

Attila Valter finished 2nd in Hungarian MTB Championships. Hungarian started his racing career from MTB before switching to road cycling. Since the beginning of the season he successfully have taken part in several MTB races.

– As I started my career in MTB, those nationals are always very special to me. I’ve won many times as a younger rider, but elite has always been a big goal and still is, as I finished 2nd this year. The course was quite technical and hard with more than 200 meters climbing. We did 6 laps in the heat and I managed to use my power and energy in a proper way. I fought till the end which resulted in a 2nd place after my friend Dina Márton. I’m happy with this result which also has given some UCI points. So I’m still in game for Olympics. I’d also like to thank my team for allowing me to take part in those nationals – said Attila Valter.

Attila Valter finished 10th in the general classification of Sibiu Cycling Tour. Hungarian was also 2nd on third stage of this race. It was also first race for Michał Paluta in the Polish champion’s jersey. His best results were: 6th place on first stage and 4th place on the stage. 

It was the last start for Attila Valter before short, mid-season break. First six months in Orange squad were really successful for Hungarian. He finished several races (like Tour of Antalya, Belgrade-Banjaluka, Istrian Spring Trophy, Tour of Hungary) in top-3 in general classification. He was also the best young rider at Belgrade-Banjaluka and Bałtyk-Karkonosze Tour. Attila also won stage at Istrian Spring Trophy and was really close to a stage-win also in Romania. Unfortunalety, Marco Tizza took him this victory in the final meters. 

– Third stage was a bit different from this we were riding a day before, when we had a long, demanding final climb. On the third stage, the route suited me better – as we had several climbs. From the very beginning, we tried to be in the front. We wanted to do several unexpected attacks today – that was a part of our tactics. Piotrek Brożyna and Szymon Tracz were trying to break in the first part of the route. Our goal was also to make other riders tired before final part of the race – said Attila Valter. 

– We started the final climb in the first group – as we wanted. When peloton split, it appeared that me and “Brożka” stayed in the first group. In front of us there was only one rider and we quickly caught him. And then, we started to attack. When “Brożka” tried, I was riding in the group, when he went back to the group – I was trying to breakaway. Finally, after several attempts I managed to succeed. I felt that I have good legs today and I was able to hold a solid, strong pace. Unfortunately, Marco Tizza reached me 200 meters before the finish line and he took the victory. Still, I’m happy with both results – on the stage and in GC. Now it’s time to recharge batteries a bit, take a rest and prepare for second part of the season – added Attila Valter. 

Michał Paluta became Polish national champion in the road race (elite), while Stasiek Aniołkowski took second place in the U-23 category. The team’s “podium” was completed by Hungarian Attila Valter, who finished 3rd in road race at Hungarian nationals

The riders, just like last year, raced on laps. This year they had nine rounds to go, just over 20 km each. The Orange squad tried to be active from the very beginning. In the first breakaway there was Piotrek Brożyna, who was doing his best and pushing the tempo for the escapees to succeed. After several laps, peloton managed to catch them. During 7th lap, a three-men breakaway formed. It was Michał Paluta and two other riders who had enough power to attack. Michał went with Mateusz Taciak and Paweł Cieślik and they were really determinated to ride until the finish line. Despite repeated attempts of attacks from the peloton, no one was able to catch the escapees. In the end, it was Michał Paluta who took the title of Polish national champion. 

– I’m extremely happy, but it’s still hard to believe that I’ve became Polish national champion. I’ve been working for this so hard and waiting so long for such a victory. The last time I won was during junior’s nationals three years ago.  From that time, I’ve made a huge progress. Maybe you can’t see that in results, but I’ve been always willing to help and fighting for other guys in the team. Of course, in the back of my head there was some king of thought that it would be good to win, to achieve some big result. And I managed to do it today – said Michał Paluta. 

– For us and for other Polish teams Nationals are a very important. And each rider has to do his best to be properly prepared for such a long, hard and nervous race. It was also my goal – to be in a good shape, to either help the team or be able to fight when a chance occurs. Fortunately, I was also lucky to be in the breakaway which wasn’t caught and managed to reach the finish line – added Michał. 

– I had a plan for the last kilometers and I have to admit I fully completed it. I wanted to attack around 3 km to go and see what would happen. Then Mateusz Taciak stayed, we went together with Paweł Cieślik. I am glad that none of them attacked before me, so I had enough power in my legs. I also knew that I was the fastest rider among us, but still – it was definitely easier to race in the end against one, than two riders. I’m happy with how won this race, it could not be better. I would like to thank to the whole team and our sponsors. Thanks to them, I’ve been able to improve as a rider over the last years – said Michał.

Attila Valter won individual time trial at Hungarian National Championships. He also took the victory in U-23 category. 

-I’m just really happy. This is my first professional victory and I will be wearing proudly this kit in the following year. I was motivated and trained super hard to this race. We calculated everything with my coach Jakub Pieniążek, he told me exactly what to do and the plan worked out. I hold my pace wisely in the first half and managed to hold the tempo till the finish. I also want to give a huge thanks to Sergio Tu, he helped me before and during the race. This victory belongs to him as well as to the team – said Attila after this race.

CCC Development Team won team classification at Tour de Hongrie (2.1). Moreover, Attila Valter finished 3rd in GC and was 2nd best Hungarian rider in this race. Stasiek Aniołkowski finished 2nd at stage IIIa and Attila Valter was 3rd at queen’s stage. Here you can find some thoughts from Attila Valter  about the race

“This week was one of the most memorable of my life. I think that the race started in a really good way. I had a quite good prologue and I was satisfied. It was a solid performance. Moreover, Piotrek Brożyna really did his best and finished third. First stage took place on my birthday, which made that day even more special to me. It was one of the best day of my life. I was super happy, I felt motivated. I think that 6th place in that finish sprint was good result. The second stage of the race maybe was not so perfect when it comes to the result, but the atmosphere was simply incredible. There were so many people there supporting us, my name was written several time on the roads. On the one hand it was really crazy see all those fans, but on the other – their support was really important and gave additional power to fight. We had really long stages with demanding routes, moreover the weather was a factor that made racing much more difficult. On Friday we had two flat stages, where Stasiek Aniołkowski was chasing for a win. He was really close, overall he finished second. Unfortunately, after the crash one of our team-mates Sergio Tu had to abandon the race. On Saturday we had a queen’s stage. We were about to climb the highest mountain in Hungary. I know this route well. 

I knew that if I’d like to finish on a good place, I need to be fresh on the first mountain climb, which was around 4 km to finish line. I didn’t feel tired, but going “full-gas” at such distance wouldn’t be smart. Then, Androni’s rider attacked and he actually went like that. When the steep part started, I decided to go after Krists Neilands, who was the leader of the race. By that time almost everyone dropped and there were 4 riders in our group. At 3 km to go, Lopez decided to go for a long attack. I was the only one who was not ok with his attack, so I went after him. Pedro was caught within 1 km to go, and soon after that, Neilands went full-gas and I realized that he would hold this crazy tempo till the end. It was really hard for me to follow him and when Dina from Hungarian National Team saw it – he attacked. When we had around 200 m to the finish line I decided to go, but unfortunately I was too late. If I had started earlier, I would beat them. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with my result. What was really important – we have showed a perfect team performance and we were still at the lead when it comes to team classification.

And again – I had to admit that the atmosphere was incredible. So many people were standing along this climb, screaming and cheering us on. I think that there has never been something like this in Hungary. After this stage I jumped into 3rd place in GC. So the plan for the last day was to secure our position in team classification and my place in GC. We managed to did this. On the last flat stage, we had Michał Paluta in a breakaway and he managed to jumped to 13th place in GC, just before Piotrek Brożyna. For me, it was unforgettable moment to stand on the podium three times and see all those people around with smiling faces. What made that moment more special was the fact that we won team classification. I am happy for the whole team. For the young guys, how they managed to do this hard race, also for Sergio, who was forced to quit. And for the more experienced guys that they finished in top15. Thanks to their work, I was able to become 3rd in GC and 2nd best Hungarian.

 I really do hope that this year’s edition of Tour de Hongrie will be a turning point for cycling in Hungary. I am extremely grateful and proud that with my team, I can be a part of it. I also want to thank Hungarian CCC Shoes and Bags for their visits and support during whole race. “

Sergio Tu won silver medal in ITT U23 race at Asian Championships. It took him 49’59”80 to ride 40 km route. Gold went to Yevgeniy Fedorov from Kazakhstan.

– My aim was to be on the podium. I have been training in Asia for several weeks. I did races with my national team, but my main goal was to prepare well for Asian Championships. It was a flat course and you constantly need high power to achieve a really good result. The first 20 km were going down very slightly and the last 20 km were slightly going up. There was a headwind during the first part, and a tailwind during the last 20 km. The last 4 km of this time trial were a little bit steeper and I think that it was where I really gained the time. I kept the power really good the whole time and I still had a lot of it left to give it all during the last 4 km – said Sergio Tu. 

– I felt that my shape was good. Also the preparation period went really well. Actually, I expected to win this race, but it was Fedorov who took gold. Still, I am really satisfied with my result and second place on podium. I want to thank the whole CCC Development Team for giving me space, equipment and time to prepare for those Asian Championships. I really appreciate the fact that the management of the team treated me individually – added Sergio Tu. 

– There is a road race ahead of me. It takes place on 26th of April. As I am the only cyclist in my national team who is under-23, I’ll be racing alone. And I’ll do my best. After Asian Championships, I’m looking forward to getting back to the team and taking part in more races to gain more experience – said Sergio Tu. Taiwanese will be taking part in two one day races in Poland in the beginning of May: Memorial Andrzeja Trochanowskiego and Memorial Romana Sieminskiego. 

Attila Valter took the white jersey of the best young rider at Belgrade-Banjaluka. Hungarian also finished 3rd in GC

– Our main goal was to defend Attila Valter’s white jersey of the best young rider. We also wanted to secure his place on the podium in the general classification. The race was really nervous from the beginning. Hungarian national team pushed the tempo, as they wanted to win intermediate sprint. Before we reached the KOM sprint, peloton split into three groups. I took Ati to the front of our bunch, so he was able to join the first group. He was supported there by Szymon Tracz  – said Stasiek Aniołkowski.

– In the first group there were a lot of riders who could take the GC podium from Ati. That’s why we focused on keeping up the pace and safely reaching the finish line. From the KOM sprint group went full gas. We had to stay concentrated all the time especially in the end, in Banjaluka, where we were racing on laps. They were quite  hectic and technical but we managed to stay away from crashes – added Szymon Tracz. It was Marko Kump who took the stage win. 

– I would like to thank Stasiek and Szymon, who have done a huge job for me today. Aniołek helped me reach the first group. When peloton split, he took me to the front of our bunch and then I went solo. It was actually the last possible moment to catch the first group – said Attila Valter. Then Hungarian jumped on the wheel of Szymon Tracz. – There were about 30 riders in that group. My several Hungarian mates, who I could count on, were also riding in this bunch. Final laps in Banjlauka were challenging also because we had to watch out for what we got under our wheels. On the roads like these, the lack of concentration could lead to crash. Taking into account the fact that three out of the four stages of Belgrade-Banjaluka were flat, I am satisfied with the third place in the GC and with the white jersey of the best young rider – said Attila Valter. The overall win went to Paweł Franczak.

Attila Valter will be racing Ötztaler Forest Cross on Sunday.

– I am really looking forward to Sunday, as I have missed all the emotions that MTB racing gives. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still focused on the road, but my passion for cycling started from cross-country – says Attila Valter, who won the title of Hungarian champion in cross-country two times as a junior – in 2015 and in 2016. Moreover, before he switched to road, Attila had been racing for MTB team called Cube Csomor. Current CCC Development Team’s rider is really close to reach the qualification for the Olympic Games in Tokio. That is why the management of the team agreed to his participation in MTB races from time to time. – I know that my team mates have quite a busy weekend, as the are racing in Netherlands and in Poland. I really do appreciate the fact that I was allowed to go to Tirol for Ötztaler Forest Cross – added Attila Valter. 

Ötztaler Forest Cross is the first MTB race for Hungarian in this season. – It is HC race so it’s gonna be super hard. The course is very technical, with lot of roots, jumps, mud and slippery stones. I’m doing U-23 race, so it means that I’ll have to ride 6 laps, 4600 meters long each – explains Attila. He rode this race several years ago as a first year junior and got quite good result for his age. – I really have good memories from that time. And when I come back to Tirol it always amazes me – so peaceful and quiet land, but during racing you get to know its other face. It’s also good to be back here with my friends from national team – says Attila. 

After Coppi e Bartali, which was finished lat Sunday, Attila spent several days in Hungary and had some time for rest and load his batteries. – I feel really good right now. My knee problems are over, mainly thanks to Przemek, our physiotherapist, who did his best during Coppi. I hope, that on Sunday, I’ll show some good time. The start list is full of solid riders, so it will be a bit of a challenge. For sure, I’d like to enjoy this race as much as I can. MTB differs from road in many aspects – added Valter. For him the main one is that in MTB the riders depends much more on their own abilities. – On cross-country races there is no such thing as a peloton, in the meaning we know from road. So, in my opinion, cross-country cycling is not as rush as road. But, what is most important – in both disciplines I can ride a bike. And this what gives me pure happiness – says Attila Valter. 

Attila Valter finished third in the general classification of the Tour of Antalya. The four stage race was won by Szymon Rekita (Leopard Pro Cycling).

– I would like to thank my teammates for the work they have done for me during the final stage of the Tour of Antalya. The route was flat and the differences in the GC were small. My 3rd place in GC is our common success – said Attila Valter.

The last stage of the Tour of Antalya was dedicated to sprinters. During the first hour of the race, three riders broke away from the peloton, gradually increasing their lead over the main group. After covering 100 km, the escapees were caught. Then, a group of 6 – 7 cyclists left. They, in turn, were caught about 20 km to the finish line. Roy Jans (Corendon-Circus) took stage victory in a bunch sprint.

The main task of the CCC Development Team riders was to work for Attila Valter. After the royal stage of the race, Hungarian jumped to the third place in the GC. However, as the differences between the GC contenders were small, and the last stage was a stage for sprinters, the key to defend the third place on the podium was proper cooperation.

– I have the impression that the boys have worked harder on me today than on Saturday, when I managed to jump to the third place in GC. They covered me from the wind, and when key riders for GC tried to break, they immediately started to chase. Thanks to their work, no one, who could have threatened my place on the podium, was able to go – said Attila Valter. He added, that when he had a puncture in the 93rd kilometer, Patryk Stosz gave him the wheel.

Valter was placed in a very good position for the last meters. – Around 500 meters to the finish, sprinters started to fight for the position. I was pushed by one of the riders and I saw that something was wrong with my bike. I was not able to go, but in a second Kamil MaÅ‚ecki appeared and gave me his bike – said Valter. Because the mechanical took place inside the last 3 km, Attila Valter was given the same time as the winner of the stage.

– I was a leader for the first time and I have to admit that during the first stages I was slightly stressed. I felt enormous responsibility. Fortunately, I was becoming more and more confident every day. I would like to thank our sports director for the trust and also my teammates for their effort. I am very happy – Hungarian added.