Caught On Camera: 30-Cyclist Pile-Up Brings Pune Grand Tour Stage 1 To A Halt | WATCH

Pune: The opening stage of the Pune Grand Tour saw chaos early on, as a large crash involving around 30 cyclists brought the race to a brief halt on Tuesday.

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The incident happened within the first hour of Stage 1, near Kolvan village in Mulshi Tehsil, roughly 25 km into the 91 km route. Following the crash, race officials temporarily stopped the race by ‘neutralisation’. Neutralisation is a process in which it allows medical teams to assist injured riders and clear the road.

Ambulances accompanying the race provided first aid to the affected cyclists. After safety checks and bike changes, the race resumed from the same positions. Officials later confirmed that no rider suffered serious injuries or required hospitalisation.

Despite the scale of the crash, most cyclists continued racing. However, three riders were forced to withdraw. They were Enzo Fuentes Caparoli, Marti Riera Casanovas, and Abdul Halil Mohd Izzat of the Malaysian National Team. Several others, including riders from the Indian National Team and the Indian National Development Team, suffered minor injuries.

Team officials and riders said such incidents are common in professional cycling -- especially during fast-paced opening stages. Patrice Robustelli, sports director of the Grant Thornton Cycling Team, said two of his riders were injured and two bicycles were damaged. He stressed that the organisers were not at fault. He pointed to narrow roads and high speeds as key factors.

UK rider Eugene Cross described how sudden braking inside the tightly packed group caused the pile-up. He said riders’ eagerness to perform well in the season’s first race may also have played a role.

Race officials said the crash occurred in the middle of the peloton and confirmed that standard safety protocols were followed, including a 23-minute neutralisation to ensure rider safety.

A video of this incident was caught as the live coverage was ongoing. This shows exactly how the accident happened, and it is currently going viral on social media platforms.