India Wins The Bid To Host UCI Road World Championship 2032 In Pune
· Free Press Journal
National, 24th September 2026: Pune has won the bid to host the UCI Road World Championships 2032, bringing cycling’s global showcase to India for the first time and marking a landmark moment for Maharashtra and the country’s sporting ambitions. The historic bid was a joint effort by the Government of Maharashtra and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), with the support of the Government of India, built around a shared vision to establish Pune as a global cycling destination and create a lasting legacy for cycling across the district, Maharashtra and India.
The landmark announcement comes at a significant moment in India’s sporting journey. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic Games, with a focus on strengthening sporting infrastructure, nurturing talent and building India’s capabilities as a global sporting nation. The National Sports Policy 2025, approved by the Union Cabinet, sets out a roadmap to establish India as a global sporting powerhouse and a strong contender for excellence at international sporting events, including the 2036 Olympic Games.
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
The decision was announced at the UCI Congress in Montréal, Canada, following Pune’s final candidature presentation to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). A senior delegation from the Government of Maharashtra was present in Montréal to champion Pune’s candidature, comprising Mr. Ranjit Singh Deol, Principal Secretary, School Education and Sports Department; Mr. Deepak Singla, Commissioner, Sports and Youth Services; Mr. Rajesh Deshmukh, Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister, Government of Maharashtra; Mr. Jitendra Dudi, District Collector, Pune; Mr. Maninder Pal Singh, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of India; and Onkar Singh , Former Secretary General, Asian Cycling Confederation.
The UCI Road World Championships are among the most prestigious events in the international cycling calendar, bringing together the world’s leading riders to compete for the coveted rainbow jerseys. The scale of the Championship is demonstrated by its recent editions. The 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali brought together 734 riders representing 113 countries, attracted around two million spectators and generated a cumulative television audience of nearly 300 million viewers worldwide. The event also featured 308 media representatives from five continents.
For India, the win represents an opportunity to bring the global cycling community to the country while creating a long-term platform for athlete development, infrastructure, participation and sporting expertise. India’s candidature was built around its large cycling base, growing grassroots movement, established UCI event-hosting experience and ambition to develop a stronger grassroots-to-elite pathway for the sport.
The 2026 Pune Grand Tour demonstrated proven capability under real-world race conditions, with coordination across 25+ government departments and 437 km of race-ready roads. The bid envisages this experience being strengthened year-on-year, giving Pune six years of Grand Tour experience by the time the World Championships arrive in 2032.
David Lappartient, President, Union Cycliste Internationale, said: “The report on the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour presented to the UCI Management Committee by the delegation led by Pune District Collector Mr Jitendra Dudi is extremely encouraging. Cycling continues to develop in new territories where it has the potential to become a leading sport. India is a country where our sport has a bright future, thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of key stakeholders.”
A Global Championship Moving Across Continents
Pune’s selection places India within a distinguished sequence of international destinations that have hosted cycling’s flagship road championship. In the last five editions, the UCI Road World Championships have travelled from Wollongong, Australia (2022), Glasgow and Scotland (2023), Zurich, Switzerland (2024), Kigali, Rwanda (2025) and Montréal, Canada (2026).
The championship’s global footprint will continue to expand in the years ahead. The 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships will take place in Haute-Savoie, France, while the UCI Road World Championships will be hosted by Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2028; Denmark in 2029; Brussels, Belgium, in 2030; and Trentino, Italy, in 2031, before arriving in Pune in 2032.
Jitendra Dudi, District Collector, Pune, said: “This is a defining moment for Pune and the result of a shared vision between the Government of Maharashtra and the Cycling Federation of India. Hosting the UCI Road World Championships is not simply about hosting a cycling race; it places Pune and India on one of international cycling’s most visible annual stages, bringing together elite sport, mass public participation, global broadcasting, tourism, economic impact and destination branding. More importantly, it gives Pune the opportunity to strengthen its identity as a global city and leave a lasting legacy for cycling and sport in India.”
Maninder Pal Singh, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of India, said: “For Indian cycling, this is an opportunity to move from participation to performance and from hosting international races to becoming a part of cycling’s global conversation. The years leading to 2032 will be about creating stronger pathways for our athletes, coaches and technical officials, bringing international expertise into India and giving our riders greater exposure to the highest standards of the sport. The Cycling Federation of India is committed to using this opportunity to build an ecosystem that can compete with the best in the world.”
With 2032 preceding the proposed 2036 Olympic Games by four years, the World Championships will be an important milestone in demonstrating India’s capacity to plan and deliver a major global sporting event, while creating capabilities and infrastructure that can continue to serve Indian sport beyond the Championship.
The UCI Road World Championships will give India a global stage to showcase its sporting ambition, cycling talent and growing capabilities, with Pune at the heart of this landmark journey.
India is ready. Pune is preparing. The road to 2032 begins today.