Pune, 31 December 2025: Pune District Magistrate Jitendra Dudi on Tuesday appealed to universities, colleges, youth organisations and local self-governments across Pune district to actively participate in and support the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026, an international multi-stage cycling competition aimed at promoting Pune as a global destination for sports and tourism.
Speaking at a coordination meeting held at the multipurpose hall of the District Magistrate’s Office, Dudi said the success of the event depends on collective efforts. He called upon universities, colleges, NCC, NSS, Nehru Yuva Kendra, sports associations, gram panchayats and village-level officials to work in coordination.
District planning officers, representatives of educational institutions, youth bodies, sports organisations, sarpanches and gram sevaks from the affected villages were present at the meeting.
Highlighting Pune’s long association with cycling, Dudi said the city has a strong cycling culture, with thousands of citizens cycling daily and many athletes competing at national and international levels.
He said the upcoming race would showcase Pune’s geographical diversity, natural beauty and cycling heritage, while also motivating young athletes to pursue high-performance and Olympic-level cycling.
The Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 is being organised on the lines of the prestigious Tour de France and has been officially included in the calendar of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The race will be held in four stages and will span 437 kilometres across nine talukas of Pune district.
As many as 176 cyclists from 40 countries are expected to participate, giving the event significant international visibility. The competition will also be broadcast live across the world, placing Pune on the global cycling map.
The district magistrate assured participants that suggestions and concerns raised by educational institutions, youth organisations, sports bodies and gram panchayats would be taken seriously and followed up with appropriate action to ensure smooth execution of the event.