After successfully hosting the most basic Level UCI road cycling event successfully earlier in the year, where Pune crowds lined the route in thousands, the Indian city has been awarded the right to host the UCI Road World Championships 2032, after a hosting bid came through for the prestigious global cycling event.
Pune pipped Groningen/Drenthe of Netherlands, in the bid as the decision was announced at the UCI Congress in Montréal where Pune presented its final candidature presentation to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). A three-member UCI inspection team visited from September 4 to 6 assessing key venues and proposed race infrastructure, including Balewadi Stadium and the Pune University circuit. This was before roads were dug up for Sarvajanik Ganpati mandal celebrations which have still not figured a way to erect poles without randomly digging roads.
The UCI delegation, accompanied by senior representatives of the Cycling Federation of India, assessed proposed race infrastructure, venues, accommodation, start and finish locations, race routes and operational arrangements, including the Balewadi Sports Complex, Savitribai Phule Pune University and proposed official hotels and event venues. The delegation was also presented with the race routes developed and successfully implemented for the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour. The routes were demonstrated using the actual race convoy and operational setup, showcasing the experience as a foundation for the World Championships.
The world’s leading riders compete for the coveted rainbow jerseys and the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Kigali brought together 734 riders representing 113 countries, attracting around two million spectators and generating a cumulative television audience of nearly 300 million viewers worldwide.
Pune’s successful bid built on the positive track record of the first edition of Bajaj Pune Grand Tour, a UCI 2.2 stage race that established the city’s capability to deliver international road cycling in January.
The previous editions were held at Wollongong, Australia (2022), Glasgow and Scotland (2023), Zurich, Switzerland (2024), Kigali, Rwanda (2025) and Montréal, Canada (2026).Pune joins future hosts Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2028; Denmark in 2029; Brussels, Belgium, in 2030; and Trentino, Italy, in 2031.
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.”