Pune, Jan 23 (IANS) Luke Mudgway romped home to the title in a start-to-finish cruise to help his team top the general classificationas the Pune Grand Tour 2026 concluded on Sunday with a fitting finale, as the Pune Pride Loop delivered colour, crowds, and closure to a week that has reshaped India’s place on the global cycling map. Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team finished the week as ‘India’s Leading Performer’, earning the ‘Blue Jersey’.
Stage Four traced a 95-kilometre circuit through the heart of the city, rising 578 metres and weaving past Pune’s modern arteries and historic icons, including Shaniwar Wada, before this race reached its conclusion.
When the dust settled after 437 gruelling kilometres, Li Ning Star, China, stood atop the team General Classification with a combined time of 28:41:19. Anchored by the imperious form of Luke Mudgway, the Chinese outfit delivered a masterclass in consistency and control across all four stages.
Spanish powerhouse Burgos Burpellet BH, the only Pro-team in the inaugural Pune Grand Tour, claimed second place at 28:42:09, while Terengganu Cycling Team, Thailand, rounded out the podium with 28:48:19, underlining the truly international depth of the field.
At the centre of it all was 29-year-old Mudgway from New Zealand, who emerged as the undisputed champion of the inaugural edition. Competing against 164 elite riders from 28 teams representing 35 countries across five continents, he finished with an overall time of 09:33:04 for the Stage 4 race today. His closest challenger, Alan Carter Bettles of Roojai Insurance Winspeed, Thailand, trailed by just 14 seconds, while Yorben Lauryssen of Tarteletto–Isorex, Belgium, finished third at 33 seconds behind.
Mudgway’s victories on Stage 1 and Stage 2 proved decisive. By establishing a buffer early, he forced rivals into a chasing role that became increasingly difficult to sustain as the race unfolded.
Mudgway retained the ‘Yellow Jersey’ from the moment he claimed it on the opening day at the Mulshi–Maval Miles and never relinquished it. His consistency in the sprints also earned him the ‘Green Jersey’ as the race’s most prolific points scorer, capping a week in which he combined resilience and tactical awareness.
However, reflecting on his triumph, Mudgway credited collective effort over individual brilliance, “I have a really good team. They looked after me from start to finish. As you saw over the last two days, we had two other riders win. So, we’ve won with three different riders and, yeah, a lot of hard work, a lot of teamwork, a lot of training, a lot of hours, everything to get the win today. So, yeah, this one’s for my team,” Mudgway said.
Mudgway was particularly impressed with the Pune crowd and added, “Today was amazing, actually. I’ve never seen crowds like this before. There were so many people the whole way around the course. It was amazing, and it was fantastic to race in front of everybody. I hope everyone enjoyed the racing and, yeah, I’d love to come back next year.”
On the road, honours on Stage 4 went to Aliaksei Shnyrko of Li Ning Star, who powered to victory on the city circuit. His teammate Cameron Nicholas Scott followed closely in second, while Dylan Hopkins of Roojai Insurance Winspeed claimed third.
With the General Classification effectively settled after Stage Three, the result had little impact on the final standings, but it underlined Li Ning Star’s dominance and provided a celebratory end to the week.
Elsewhere, the remaining jerseys found their owners. Clement Alleno of Burgos Burpellet BH secured the ‘Polka Dot’ jersey as King of the Mountains after amassing 15 points, ahead of Stefan Benetton of EuroCyclingTrips – CCN, Guam, and Cristian Railaenu of Li Ning Star.
The ‘Orange Jersey’ for ‘Best Asian Rider’ remained with Jambaljamts Sainbayar, of Burgos Burpellet BH, Spain, one of the standout performers of the tour, while Dutch talent Tijssen Viego of Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam, Netherlands, again claimed the ‘White Jersey’ as the ‘Best Young Rider – U23’. India’s Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team finished the week as ‘India’s Leading Performer’, earning the ‘Blue Jersey’.
Amina Lanaya, Director General of the Union Cycliste Internationale, said: “I have goosebumps at this level and trust me, wow, such emotions and India can be proud, really. I think, you know, the bar has been raised very high, and India, you know, just after the first edition, has proven that it can deliver the best-class event. So, I’m really, really looking forward to working together with the local authorities, the National Federation, to make cycling grow even higher.”
“Everybody was happy, you know, only smiling faces along the roads. And I think that cycling is a new sport in the minds of Indian people. I would like cycling to go big like cricket, for example, take in the hearts of the Indians. And that’s our goal, that’s what we want to achieve because we have the right fans at the right place.” She adds
As a Union Cycliste Internationale 2.2 event offering ranking points towards the LA 2028 Summer Olympics, the Pune Grand Tour carried genuine sporting consequences. But its legacy may run deeper.
Over five demanding days, India showcased its ability to host elite, multi-stage racing at the highest level. And as Mudgway rolled into history wearing Yellow, the message from Pune was unmistakable: this was not just the end of a race, but the beginning of a new era.
–IANS
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