India reportedly closes in on landmark 2032 Road World Championships

The Athletic reported on Friday that India is the clear frontrunner in the bidding process, citing multiple sources familiar with the discussions. According to the report, UCI president David Lappartient is expected to recommend India to the other members of the governing body’s management committee.

The two bidding teams are due to present their proposals in Montreal on September 22, during the 2026 Road World Championships. The UCI is expected to announce its decision at its Congress the following day.

Pune would become the first Indian city to host the Road World Championships. It would also mark only the fourth time the event has been staged in Asia, following Utsunomiya in Japan in 1990, Doha in Qatar in 2016 and Abu Dhabi, which will host the championships in 2028.

India’s candidacy comes as Pune attempts to establish itself on the international cycling calendar. Earlier this year the city hosted the inaugural Bajaj Pune Grand Tour, a race held over five stages that drew an estimated 2.5 million spectators to the roadside.

The event has become an important part of India’s efforts to develop professional road cycling. The Cycling Federation of India has also spoken publicly about its ambition to grow the Pune race into a much bigger international event.

Bringing the championships to Pune would also continue the UCI’s recent expansion beyond cycling’s traditional strongholds. Rwanda became the first African nation to host the Road World Championships in 2025, while Abu Dhabi will take the event back to Asia in 2028.

The two bids therefore offer the UCI contrasting propositions. The Netherlands brings decades of experience in elite cycling and major event organisation, while Pune would take the Road World Championships into new territory.

Before a possible first visit to India, the Road World Championships will move through a mixture of established cycling destinations and newer host markets.

The 2027 road races will form part of the UCI Cycling World Championships in Haute Savoie, France, the multi discipline event often referred to as the “Super Worlds”. Sallanches and the Côte de Domancy will be at the heart of the road programme. 

Abu Dhabi hosts the standalone Road World Championships in 2028. Denmark follows in 2029, with Copenhagen and Aarhus playing central roles, before Brussels stages the championships in 2030. In 2031, the road events will once again be part of the wider UCI Cycling World Championships, this time in Trentino, Italy.

If Pune is awarded the 2032 edition, it would follow three consecutive European hosts and continue the UCI’s recent expansion of its biggest road event beyond cycling’s traditional heartlands.