The Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 came to a stirring close on Sunday as the Pune Pride Loop delivered colour, crowds and competitive intensity to a race that has already begun reshaping India’s place on the international cycling calendar.
Over four demanding stages and 437 kilometres of racing through the Western Ghats and the heart of Pune, riders from across five continents discovered a course that was as technically challenging as it was visually spectacular. Stage Four, a 95-kilometre urban circuit with 578 metres of elevation, wound through Pune’s modern boulevards and historic landmarks, including Shaniwar Wada, before returning to the city centre for a fast, high-tempo finish.
By the time the peloton completed its final lap, the overall picture was clear: Li Ning Star of China had delivered a dominant team performance, and Luke Mudgway had stamped his authority on the inaugural edition of the race.
Li Ning Star topped the Team General Classification with a combined time of 28:41:19, narrowly ahead of Spanish Pro-team Burgos Burpellet BH (28:42:09), while Terengganu Cycling Team of Malaysia (28:48:19) completed the podium. Across four stages, the Chinese outfit combined tactical discipline with raw power, setting the benchmark for every rival.
At the heart of that success was Luke Mudgway, the 29-year-old New Zealander who emerged as the undisputed champion of the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour. Competing against 164 elite riders from 28 teams representing 35 countries, Mudgway finished the race with an overall time of 09:33:04, holding off a determined challenge from Carter Alan Bettles (Roojai Insurance Winspace, Thailand) by just 14 seconds, with Yorben Lauryssen (Tarteletto–Isorex, Belgium) a further 33 seconds behind.
Mudgway’s dominance was built in the opening two days. Victories on Stage 1 (Mulshi–Maval Miles) and Stage 2 gave him a critical buffer that allowed him to ride with control rather than desperation for the remainder of the tour. Once he pulled on the Yellow Jersey, he never surrendered it, managing attacks, time gaps and sprint finishes with maturity beyond his years.
His consistency also earned him the Green Jersey as the race’s top points scorer, completing a week in which he was both the most effective finisher and the most tactically astute rider in the field.
Yet Mudgway was quick to credit the collective rather than the individual.
“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. A lot of hard work, a lot of teamwork, a lot of training, a lot of hours — everything to get the win today. This one’s for my team,” he said.
Stage Four itself belonged to Li Ning Star once again. Aliaksei Shnyrko powered away from the field to claim victory on the Pune circuit, with teammate Cameron Nicholas Scott finishing second. Dylan Hopkins of Roojai Insurance Winspace took third, ensuring the final podium reflected the overall hierarchy of the race.
Read Articles Without Ads On Your IndiaSportsHub App. Download Now And Stay Updated
While the general classification had largely been settled after Stage Three, the final stage underlined Li Ning Star’s depth and cohesion three stage wins across four days is a mark of a truly dominant squad.
Beyond the Yellow and Green jerseys, the race produced a full suite of standout performances. Clement Alleno of Burgos Burpellet BH secured the Polka Dot Jersey as King of the Mountains with 15 points, ahead of Stefan Benetton and Cristian Raileanu. The Orange Jersey for Best Asian Rider went to Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Burgos Burpellet BH), one of the revelations of the tour, while Dutch prospect Vigo Tijssen (Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam) claimed the White Jersey as Best Young Rider (U-23).
For India, Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team earned the Blue Jersey as India’s Leading Performer, a significant moment for domestic cycling on a global stage.
The significance of the Pune Grand Tour was underlined by the presence of UCI Director General Amina Lanaya, who described the event as a breakthrough moment for Indian cycling.
“I have goosebumps. India can be proud. The bar has been raised very high and just after the first edition, India has proven it can deliver a best-class event. Everybody was smiling along the roads. Cycling is a new sport in the minds of Indian people, but it has the potential to take a big place in their hearts like cricket. That’s our goal,” she said.
As a UCI 2.2 event offering ranking points toward LA 2028, the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour carried genuine sporting weight. But its deeper legacy may be cultural. Over five intense days, India demonstrated that it can host elite, complex, multi-stage cycling at international standards.
As Luke Mudgway rolled into history wearing Yellow and Li Ning Star celebrated a commanding team triumph, Pune sent a powerful message to the global peloton: India is no longer just watching the world of professional cycling it is ready to host it.
