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Cyclists crash during Pune Grand Tour
The race was temporarily paused following the accident, which occurred in the afternoon, and resumed after medical teams responded, officials said
Several cyclists were involved in a crash during the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026, a UCI 2.2 Continental multi-stage men’s cycling race, on Tuesday, organisers said. However, neither the organisers nor the police specified the number of riders injured.
The race was temporarily paused following the accident, which occurred in the afternoon, and resumed after medical teams responded, officials said.
Stage 1 of the event witnessed the crash involving multiple riders within an hour of the start. According to organisers, the incident took place among cyclists riding in the second group of the peloton.
“During Stage 1 of the Pune Grand Tour, there was an on-road incident involving riders in the second group of the peloton. As a precautionary measure and in line with Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) safety protocols, the race was temporarily neutralised. UCI officials and the event medical team responded immediately,” organisers said in a statement.
Edward Park, president of the Commissaire Panel (UCI) for the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour, said crashes are common in road cycling events featuring large pelotons and high-speed conditions.
“There was a crash in the middle of the peloton. This is quite common in road cycling races with large pelotons and changing race dynamics in a high-stakes, high-speed environment. As per protocol, the race was neutralised for 23 minutes. Riders involved were immediately attended to with first aid by the medical staff in the convoy and were allowed to change their bikes,” Park said.
He added that the situation was handled professionally by race officials, noting that most riders were able to rejoin and complete the stage.
The crash raised concerns about its impact on the overall competition. While Stage 1 was disrupted due to the incident near Mulshi, Stage 2 is scheduled on the Pune–Purandar–Rajgad–Haveli–PCMC route.
