2 minutes of readingPuneJanuary 16, 2026 11:47 am IST
Former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Thursday appointed India’s goodwill ambassador. Pune Grand Tour 2026India’s first international road cycling race, scheduled to be held in the city from January 19 to 23.
The Bajaj Pune The Grand Tour 2026 is India’s first UCI 2.2 category multistagefive-day continental men’s road cycling race, firmly placing the country on the global professional cycling circuit. The race will cover a 437 km route through the Deccan Plateau and Sahyadri Range, with hairpin turns and challenging elevations. The event has attracted 171 runners from 29 teams from 35 countries.
Reminding the Indian national team that “this is their time to shine in front of the home fans and bring glory to the nation”, Dhoni said: “I am happy to be associated with the Pune Grand Tour… (With this) India is pedaling towards a new chapter in cycling as a professional sport. I wish the organisers, the Pune district administrators, great success with the initiative and all the cyclists the best.
Leading the international charge in the race will be Spain’s Burgos Burpellet BH professional team, ranked 27th in the UCI world rankings, followed by China’s Li Ning Star (36th place) and Malaysia’s Terengganu cycling team (37th place).
The Indian challenge will be led by decorated driver Naveen John of the Indian national team. India will also field another team, the Indian Development Team, with a total of 12 Indian riders with four substitutes, and will get a chance to prove themselves in local conditions in India’s first UCI 2.2 competition.
Meanwhile, the Pune district administration said it has spent Rs 500 million to align the 437-kilometre track with international cycling regulations.