TakeWorlds3 weeks ago
The UCI awarded Pune, India the 2032 Road World Championships. One January stage race did more for that bid than any federation lobbying ever could.
Pune's case landed in summer 2026, months past the UCI's December 31 deadline, and still beat a Netherlands bid from Groningen and Drenthe. The pitch was built entirely on the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour, India's first UCI-ranked stage race, run in January 2026 with an estimated 2.5 million roadside spectators. Groningen and Drenthe didn't lose so much as get rescheduled — they take 2034 instead. The UCI didn't just expand cycling's map, it let a single race's crowd numbers override its own calendar.
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