Pune to Host UCI Road World Championships 2032; Prestigious Cycling Event Comes to India for First Time
Pune: Pune has been selected to host the UCI Road World Championships 2032, bringing the prestigious global cycling competition to India for the first time.
The hosting rights were awarded by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Management Committee. UCI President David Lappartient announced Pune’s selection at the 195th Congress of the Union Cycliste Internationale, held in Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
Pune Collector Jitendra Dudi, along with other government officials, was present to receive the event jersey and invitation placard.
🚴♂️Pune selected to host UCI Road World Championships 2032!
— PuneNow (@itspunenow) September 25, 2026
The prestigious world cycling event will be held in India 🇮🇳 for the first time.
Pune had made a bid to host the event and was competing with other contenders, including Groningen and the Drenthe region of the… pic.twitter.com/9SfSt0s1Os
Pune had submitted a bid to host the championships and was competing with other contenders, including Groningen and the Drenthe region of the Netherlands. Western Europe and Canada have traditionally been preferred locations for hosting such events due to infrastructure and weather considerations.
What are the UCI Road World Championships?
First held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1921, the UCI Road World Championships are held annually and bring together leading road cyclists from around the world to compete for world titles and the coveted rainbow jerseys.
Unlike major professional stage races such as the Tour de France, where cyclists ride for their trade teams, riders at the UCI Road World Championships represent their countries.
The 2025 championships in Kigali brought together 734 riders representing 113 countries. The 2026 edition is being held in Montréal, Canada, while the 2027 World Championships will take place in Haute-Savoie, France.
Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates will host the 2028 edition before the championships come to Pune in 2032. Pune 2032 is slated to be the 105th edition of the event.
India will become the fourth Asian country to host the UCI Road World Championships. Japan became the first Asian host when Utsunomiya staged the championships in 1990, followed by Doha, Qatar, in 2016. Abu Dhabi will become another Asian host with the 2028 edition.
UCI assessed venues in Pune
The UCI assessed key venues and proposed race infrastructure in Pune earlier this month, including Balewadi Stadium and the Pune University circuit.
Pune had also hosted the inaugural Pune Grand Tour earlier this year. Held from January 19 to 23, the event covered 437 km through a prologue and four stages across Pune district.
The Pune Grand Tour was the first men’s Class 2.2 stage race organised in India.
