Pune, 23rd January 2026: The Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 concluded on Sunday with a fitting finale, as the Pune Pride Loop delivered colour, crowds and closure to a week that has reshaped India’s place on the global cycling map.
Stage Four traced a 95-kilometre circuit through the heart of the city, rising 578 metres and weaving past Pune’s modern arteries and historic icons, including Shaniwar Wada, before this race reached its conclusion.
When the dust settled after 437 gruelling kilometres, Li Ning Star, China stood atop the team General Classification with a combined time of 28:41:19. Anchored by the imperious form of Luke Mudgway, the Chinese outfit delivered a masterclass in consistency and control across all four stages.
Spanish powerhouse Burgos Burpellet BH, the only Pro-team in the inaugural Bajaj Pune Grand Tour claimed second place at 28:42:09, while Terengganu Cycling Team, Thailand rounded out the podium with 28:48:19, underlining the truly international depth of the field.
At the centre of it all was 29 year-old Mudgway from New Zealand who emerged as the undisputed champion of the inaugural edition. Competing against 164 elite riders from 28 teams representing 35 countries across five continents, he finished with an overall time of 09:33:04 for the Stage 4 race today. His closest challenger, Alan Carter Bettles of Roojai Insurance Winspeed, Thailand, trailed by just 14 seconds, while Yorben Lauryssen of Tarteletto–Isorex, Belgium finished third at 33 seconds behind.
Mudgway’s victories on Stage 1 and Stage 2 proved decisive. By establishing a buffer early, he forced rivals into a chasing role that became increasingly difficult to sustain as the race unfolded.
Mudgway retained the ‘Yellow Jersey’ from the moment he claimed it on the opening day at the Mulshi–Maval Miles and never relinquished it. His consistency in the sprints also earned him the ‘Green Jersey’ as the race’s most prolific points scorer, capping a week in which he combined resilience and tactical awareness.
However, reflecting on his triumph, Mudgway credited collective effort over individual brilliance, “I have a really good team. They looked after me from start to finish. As you saw the last two days, we had, two other riders win. So, we’ve won with three different riders and, yeah, a lot of hard work, a lot of teamwork, a lot of training, a lot of hours, everything to get the win today. So, yeah, this one’s for my team,” Mudgway said.
Mudgway was particularly impressed with the Pune crowd and added, “Today was amazing, actually. I’ve never seen crowds like this before. There were so many people, the whole way around the course. It was amazing, and it was fantastic to race in front of everybody. I hope everyone enjoyed the racing and, yeah, I’d love to come back next year.”
On the road, honours on Stage 4 went to Aliaksei Shnyrko of Li Ning Star, who powered to victory on the city circuit. His teammate Cameron Nicholas Scott followed closely in second, while Dylan Hopkins of Roojai Insurance Winspeed claimed third.
With the General Classification effectively settled after Stage Three, the result had little impact on the final standings, but it underlined Li Ning Star’s dominance and provided a celebratory end to the week.
Elsewhere, the remaining jerseys found their owners. Clement Alleno of Burgos Burpellet BH secured the ‘Polka Dot’ jersey as King of the Mountains after amassing 15 points, ahead of Stefan Benetton of EuroCyclingTrips – CCN, Guam and Cristian Railaenu of Li Ning Star.
The ‘Orange Jersey’ for ‘Best Asian Rider’ remained with Jambaljamts Sainbayar, of Burgos Burpellet BH, Spain, one of the standout performers of the tour, while Dutch talent Tijssen Viego of Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam, Netherlands, again claimed the ‘White Jersey’ as the ‘Best Young Rider – U23’. India’s Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team finished the week as ‘India’s Leading Performer’, earning the ‘Blue Jersey’.
Amina Lanaya, Director General of the Union Cycliste Internationale, said: “I have goosebumps at this level and trust me, wow, such emotions and India can be proud, really. I think, you know, the bar has been raised very high and India, you know, just after the first edition, has proven that it can deliver the best-class event. So, I’m really, really looking forward to work together with the local authorities, the National Federation, to make cycling growing even higher.”
“Everybody was happy, you know, only smiling faces along the roads. And I think that cycling is a new sport, in the minds of Indian people. I would like that cycling takes a big place like, cricket, for example, take in the hearts of the Indians. And that’s our goal, that’s what we want to achieve because we have the right fans at the right place.” She adds
As a Union Cycliste Internationale 2.2 event offering ranking points towards the LA 2028 Summer Olympics, the Pune Grand Tour carried genuine sporting consequences. But its legacy may run deeper.
Over five demanding days, India showcased its ability to host elite, multi-stage racing at the highest level. And as Mudgway rolled into history wearing Yellow, the message from Pune was unmistakable: this was not just the end of a race, but the beginning of a new era.
Stage Winner
Rank
Bib
Name
Team
Time
1
11
SHNYRKO Aliaksei
Li Ning Star, China
01:56:54
2
12
SCOTT Cameron Nicholas
Li Ning Star, China
3
34
HOPKINS Dylan
Roojai Insurance Winspace, Thailand
General Classification – Team
Rank
Team Name
Team Nation
Team Manager
1
Li Ning Star
China
PIASETSKI Aliaksandr
2
Burgos Burpellet BH
Spain
BOI Jetske
3
Terengganu Cycling Team
Malaysia
AZIZ Mohd Saiful Anuar Bin
Best Indian Rider – Blue Jersey
Rank
Bib
Name
Team
1
155
SEKHON Harshveer Singh
Indian National Team
2
273
SARDA Manav
Indian Development Team
3
154
KUMAR Dinesh
Indian National Team
Best Young Rider – White Jersey
Rank
Bib
Name
Team
1
265
TUSSEN Vigo
Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam, Netherlands
2
263
SPIERO Tamar
Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam, Netherlands
3
105
SYELHAN NURAHMAT Muhammad
ASC Monsters, Indonesia
Best Asian Rider – Orange Jersey
Rank
Bib
Name
Team
1
4
SAINBAYAR Jambaljamts
Burgos Burpellet BH, Spain
2
32
BATSAIKHAN Tegshbayar
Roojai Insurance Winspace, Thailand
3
105
SYELHAN NURAHMAT Muhammad
ASC Monsters, Indonesia
General Classification – Mountains (KOM) – Polka Dot
Rank
Bib
Name
Team
Points
1
5
ALLENO Clement
Burgos Burpellet BH
15
2
81
BENNETT Stefan
Eurocyclingtrips – CCN, Guam
12
3
16
RAILEANU Cristian
Li Ning Star, China
10
General Classification on Points – Green Jersey
Rank
Bib
Name
Team
1
14
MUDGWAY Luke
Li Ning Star, China
2
6
BOUGLAS Georgios
Burgos Burpellet BH, Spain
3
33
BETTLES Carter Alan
Roojai Insurance Winspace, Thailand
General Classification on Time – Yellow Jersey
Rank
Bib
Name
Team
1
14
MUDGWAY Luke
Li Ning Star, China
2
33
BETTLES Carter Alan
Roojai Insurance Winspace, Thailand
3
54
LAURYSSEN Yorben
Tarteletto Isorex, Belgium
Information About Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026
Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 is India’s first-ever UCI 2.2 category multi-stage, five-day Continental Cycling Race for Men, marks a watershed moment for the India’s presence in the global professional circuit. A gruelling 437-km route passes through the diverse terrains of Deccan Plateau and Sahyadri Ranges, the event has received an unprecedented field of 171 elite riders from 29 teams representing five continents and 35 countries. Organised by Pune District Administration, Government of Maharashtra under the aegis of Cycling Federation of India, the race combines high-performance sporting excellence, celebrating Pune’s cultural heritage, historic landmarks and rural tourism through 9 talukas and 150 villages.
World-Class Infrastructure & Global Ambition
Central to the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour’s success is a massive infrastructure overhaul, highlighted by the rapid road construction, upgrades with safety protocols in just 75 days. This project is part of a broader district-wide initiative in upgrading the road infrastructure to meet stringent UCI guidelines, ensuring top-tier safety and ride quality. By delivering this world-class arena, Bajaj Pune Grand Tour not only reclaims Pune’s legacy as India’s “Cycle Capital” but also establishes a permanent blueprint for sustainable urban-rural development and positions India as a premier destination for international sports tourism and elite competitive cycling.