Pune: India marked a historic moment as the Pune Grand Tour 2026 was inaugurated today in Pune, which is set to become the country’s inaugural UCI 2.2 category multi-stage continental road race.
Watch Video:
The cyclethon started today, January 19 to 23; the five-day event places India firmly on the global professional cycling map and gives domestic riders a rare chance to compete at international standards on home roads.
For the first time, India will field 12 riders in a UCI-accredited road race, its largest-ever contingent. However, the grand cyclethon organised in Pune on Monday triggered chaos across key parts of the city as several major roads, including Fergusson College (FC) Road, Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road, and Genshkhind roads, were closed.
The commuters complained that they were not informed in advance and faced severe inconvenience as police personnel restricted vehicular movement. From early morning, traffic police barricaded stretches of major roads in Pune to facilitate the cycling event, leading to long queues of vehicles and confusion among office-goers, students, and emergency commuters.
"I got to know about the road closures only after reaching the affected roads, and I was left with no clear alternative routes. I was suddenly stopped near JM Road and was told that the road is closed for a cyclethon. There were no visible signboards or prior messages that we saw. I was getting late for work and had no option but to take long detours,” said Meghna Singh, a daily commuter.
"Traffic police personnel on duty said the restrictions were necessary to ensure the safety of participants and the smooth conduct of the event. However, the lack of information in public became a major failure because it's Monday and people have offices, and I got to know about the closure only after reaching there," said Chimany Shinde, a working professional.
Many citizens took to social media to express anger, questioning why such large-scale road closures were not publicised more effectively.
Local residents and traders in the FC Road and Deccan areas also reported losses due to reduced footfall and restricted access. “If this was planned, the administration should have informed people well in advance through multiple channels,” said a shopkeeper from FC Road.
While authorities claim that advisories were issued earlier. As Pune increasingly hosts large sporting and cultural events, citizens are demanding better planning, clearer traffic alerts, and real-time updates to avoid last-minute disruption to daily life.
