PUNE: India stands on the threshold of a historic moment as the Pune Grand Tour 2026 is set to flag off on Monday. The event marks the country’s first-ever Continental multi-stage road race for Men and is classified as a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) 2.2 international competition. With its inclusion under the UCI framework, Pune Grand Tour 2026 marks India’s official entry into the global professional cycling calendar.
The inclusion of the Pune Grand Tour, sponsored by Bajaj, in the UCI calendar comes at a time when Asia is emerging as a key growth market for professional cycling. With increasing investment in infrastructure, talent development, and international competition exposure, India’s entry into elite-stage racing signals a long-term vision for the professionalisation of the sport in the country.
Owing to its UCI classification, the Pune Grand Tour 2026 will offer riders the opportunity to earn valuable ranking points that count toward qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. The competition is scheduled to begin on Monday, with Prologue—to record the riders’ individual time travel, which will decide the pole positions ahead of the opening (Stage 1) race day, as per a press release.
Morocco’s team Sidi Ali Unlocks Sports Team (UCI world ranked 157) has pulled out of the event due to unforeseen reasons, leaving the field of riders to 164 from 28 teams, representing 35 countries across five continents, who will take to the start line. Despite Morocco’s absence, India still holds a rare milestone of having the largest field of riders, unprecedented for a UCI 2.2 category race seen before globally. Typically, this classification race features around 125 riders.
