New competition to build on the back of the success of the Pune Grand Tour, with the UCI hinting at future plans for a world championships in India.
Bajaj Pune Grand Tour
An estimated 2.5 million people lined the roads as India staged its first UCI race in more than a decade back in January, the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour. To put that number in context, around 750,000 attended the Tour of Flanders last year in cycling’s historical Belgian heartland.
‘I’ve never seen anything like that’: An inside view of India’s mind-boggling new stage race
More than a million spectators packed the roadside for the final stage of the Pune Grand Tour. Race winner Luke Mudgway takes us behind the scenes.
Now those charged with developing the sport in the world’s most populous nation are looking to build on that success by planning to launch the “world’s first franchise-based road cycling league” at the end of 2026. [That claim is in some doubt as the United States has seen a number of franchise-based leagues over the past decades, although none have lasted more than a few years. -Ed.]
The Indian Cycling League, which is not expected to be under the UCI’s jurisdiction, is set to launch in November with eight teams representing eight different Indian states. The hope is that this new competition will mimic the success of cricket’s Indian Premier League, which was launched in a similar guise in 2008 and has become one of that sport’s largest and most profitable competitions. The idea of the league plays into the intense culture of competition between the different states in India.
Each team is set to comprise of 10 riders each, with two international spots available on each team and two places for junior riders; the rest will be elite Indian riders. The competition will include three phases, with teams competing over a criterium, team time trial and a standard road race in different parts of the country ahead of a grand finale, of which details have yet to be announced.
This post is for paying subscribers only
Subscribe now
Already have an account? Sign in
Did we do a good job with this story?
👍Yep
👎Nope