The first edition of the Pune Grand Tour in India started this Monday, January 19 with an eight-kilometer prologue in the city of the same name in the state of Maharashtra. A conurbation of around 12 million inhabitants in the west of the country. This race marks an important milestone in the development of international cycling in India as it is the first professional road event on the calendar of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
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This is a real novelty for the 2026 road cycling season. Pune Grand Tour brings together several continental teams and national selections, with an international peloton expected over five days. The event is now included in the UCI Asia Tour calendar.
In addition to the prologue in Pune, the route will have four stages for a total distance estimated at around 437 kilometers. Twenty-eight teams of 6 riders are at the start of what could become an essential moment in world cycling like the races which have found their place in the Gulf countries such as the Tour of Oman, or even that of the United Arab Emirates. Supported by the Government of Maharashtra and the local authorities of Pune, the race benefited from major road development works.
« It’s Tour de France level in terms of organization »
« The organization really put us in superb conditions. We have already been given a cart to avoid having to walk too much in the Bombay airport when we arrive! », Tells RFI the French runner Baptiste Mosin of the France Club Défense team. The suite, a five-star hotel where each runner has their own room. A luxury. “ It’s Tour de France level in terms of organization », specifies the one who is licensed at VC Avranches and who was impressed by the number of spectators on the prologue course.
For his first race very far from his native Brittany, Baptiste Mosin is more disoriented than ever. Above all, he is impressed by the budget that was allocated to this event. “ It’s the first edition and they pulled out all the stops », Supports Hervé Rivoalen, its sports director. “ The people are very helpful, and the organization is top notch. The future of cycling could well pass through India “, he says, still mentioning pollution. Several hundred volunteers were mobilized to ensure success until the final arrival on January 23.
The route of the race alternates plains, hills and rural areas. The organizers promised a field “ demanding and spectacular “. The African champion Merhawi Kudus, the Australian Dylan Hopkins and the Belgian Timothy Dupont are among the most anticipated runners. “ Every sport has its defining moment. I hope that for road cycling this will be the case “, Indian national team leader Naveen John told Global Peloton. « This is a turning point for Pune and India, and we are ready to deliver a race that sets a new global benchmark for UCI Asian Tours said Jitendra Dudi, race manager, in a press release.
With around thirty nationalities represented, the race marks a major turning point in the history of cycling in the most populous country on the planet where Cricket remains the major sport.
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