Even after a record year, the Szabadics Ride shows no signs of slowing down, with every company reaching new heights

The SZABADICS Ride Company Challenge was held for the tenth time on 20 June as part of the Mapei Tour de Zalakaros . This cycling race, created for corporate teams, has undergone significant development over the past decade. What began as a supporting event has now become a brand in its own right and a fully-fledged sporting event. This year’s race attracted more interest than ever before, and the organisers had to close registration before the deadline.

From an idea to a nationally renowned event

The history of the SZABADICS Ride began more than ten years ago, and it has been characterised by continuous development ever since.

„When talking about the early days, we must mention Ferenc Jankovics, to whom we owe the basic idea and concept behind the whole competition” – recalled Roland Szabadics, SZABADICS Group’s chief operating officer, reflecting on the early days.

As he explained, in the late 2010s the race was run on a much smaller budget, with fewer categories, and as a supporting event to the Tour de Zalakaros.

„The SZABADICS Ride has grown over the years; it now stands on its own as the brand, and thanks to Szabolcs Karádi, managing director of Teker Sportiroda Kft., it has now become a fully-fledged sporting event in its own right,” he said.

This progress is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the competition’s popularity is growing year on year. According to the organisers, many participants mark the event in their diaries months in advance and organise their holidays, work commitments and even their training schedules around it.

As well as sport, it’s also about building relationships

The original aim of the event was to bring together local communities, groups of friends and business partners. This aim remains a key feature of the event to this day.

„To this day, we attach great importance to cooperation with partners and relationship-building at SZABADICS Ride,” emphasised Roland of Szabadics.

Every year, the organisers make a conscious effort to improve the on-site infrastructure so that representatives of the participating companies can meet in a comfortable setting.

„Every year, our aim is to organise a sporting event where valuable partnerships – or even lifelong friendships – are forged between companies coming from different parts of the country or even from abroad”

 - he added.

Due to record numbers, registration had to be closed

Nothing demonstrates this success better than the fact that this year’s competition broke all previous records.

„We received a record number of entries this year. In order to guarantee the safety of the competitors on the course, we were forced to close registration earlier than planned, once we had reached 100 teams,” said Izabella Luca Varga, marketing and communications specialist at SZABADICS Group.

The success of this anniversary year is clearly demonstrated by the fact that a number of new teams have entered, whilst the number of returning participants has also remained high.

„Companies are already spreading the word about the event amongst themselves, through word of mouth” 

 - he highlighted.

The community has become our greatest asset

According to the organisers, one of the most important lessons learnt from this year’s competition was that the community that had formed around the event had grown even stronger.

„Year on year, the teams are building an ever-stronger bond with one another; returning participants greet the others warmly, as old friends,” said Izabella Luca Varga.

He added that over the past ten years, a very close-knit cycling community has developed, whose members not only meet on race day but also build long-term relationships.

The timing system also reflects the spirit of the race well. The results for teams of 4–5 members are calculated based on the time of the third competitor to cross the finish line.

„We introduced this rule so that if anything were to happen to the fourth member of the team whilst they were on the road, the others wouldn’t have to give up and would not be eliminated from the race,” he explained.

According to Izabella Luca Varga, one of the keys to the success of this year’s SZABADICS Ride was that performance and the community experience were not presented as alternatives to one another, but rather as mutually reinforcing elements. As she said, in good teams, teamwork, success and the joy of spending time together are naturally intertwined, something that is particularly evident in cycling.

There’s a challenge for everyone

Both the hobby and competition categories offer opportunities for casual and experienced cyclists alike.

„I consider one of our greatest successes to be the fact that, despite the huge number of entrants, we’ve managed to retain that family atmosphere”

 – said Izabella Luca Varga.

According to the organisers, it is important that everyone can find a category suited to their level of ability, so that the race can remain both competitive and inclusive. This year, the women’s field also broke a record, with ten women’s amateur teams and three women’s competitive teams taking part.

Zalakaros and Kis-Balaton remain at the heart of the competition

The choice of venue remains of paramount importance to the organisers.

„The Zalakaros site is very important to us; I live in the town myself, and the company’s headquarters used to be here too,” said Roland Szabadics.

The Chief Operating Officer also spoke about his personal connection to the venue, having overseen the construction of the Karos Korzó, which now houses the event centre, was built under his supervision at the time.

The route has remained largely unchanged over the past ten years, although there is one section that participants are particularly fond of.

„The route continues to pass along the iconic, picturesque Kis-Balaton dam, which so many people love and have taken to their hearts,” he emphasised.

The weekend wasn’t just about the competitors

The organisers also had families in mind. In the children’s corner, the youngest visitors were able to design their own cycling jerseys, decorate their bikes and take part in various craft activities.

The competition day traditionally concluded with a gala dinner and awards ceremony.

„The gala dinner was all about celebrating together, expressing gratitude, and sharing in the achievements and wonderful moments,” said Izabella Luca Varga.

Preparations are already underway for the 20th anniversary Tour de Zalakaros

Even after a record-breaking year, the organisers have no intention of slowing down. Their next aim is to make it possible for even more teams to take part in the 20th anniversary edition of the Tour de Zalakaros.

„We would like to put the technical conditions in place to allow more than 100 teams to take part, so that even more people can experience the unique atmosphere of Ride”

 – said Izabella Luca Varga.

This year, SZABADICS Group entered eight teams of its own in the competition, and the staff spent months preparing for the event. On some occasions, staff members working in different parts of the country travelled for several hours just to take part in a joint training session.

Roland Szabadics summed up the message of this anniversary year in a single sentence for those who have only been watching the event from the sidelines this year:

„This year you’ve seen the success from the sidelines; in 2027, at the anniversary race, experience it from the inside too, because every company is taking it to the next level at SZABADICS Ride!”