Pune Grand Tour Begins Today with Indian Teams in the Race
The Pune Grand Tour starts today, Monday, January 19, 2026. This major cycling event features two Indian teams ready to compete on the international stage.
The Indian National Team and the Indian Development Team will represent the country. Each team consists of six riders. They will face competition from teams representing 35 different countries.
A total of 171 riders from 29 teams will participate in the event. The race begins with an eight-kilometer prologue. It starts from Goodluck Chowk on FC Road and finishes at the Deccan bus stop.
Indian National Team Riders
Here are the six riders representing the Indian National Team:
- Naveen John from Bengaluru, Karnataka. A pioneer of Indian road cycling, John began his career in his early twenties while studying engineering at Purdue University. He is a ten-time National Champion in Road and Time Trial events. He also won four National Games Gold Medals. In 2017, he achieved double gold at the National Championships.
- Surya Ramesh Thathu from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Maharashtra. Thathu moved from inline skating to competitive cycling. He represents Team India internationally and trains under coach Amit Jangra. He received the Shiv Chhatrapati Award in 2020. The Cycling Federation of India named him Best Cyclist of the Year in 2024.
- Vishavajeet Singh from Patiala, Punjab. Born into a cycling family, Singh started training at age thirteen. He represents Team India and trains under coach Joginder. He has competed at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Singh holds National Records in Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit events.
- Sahil Kumar from Haryana. Kumar serves in the Indian Air Force cycling contingent. He is a versatile rider across track and road disciplines. At the 38th National Games in 2025, he won gold in Scratch Race, silver in Road Race, and bronze in Omnium. He represented India at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Track Championships.
- Dinesh Kumar from Rourkela, Odisha. Kumar is an elite endurance cyclist with a record-breaking career. He rose to prominence after winning gold at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2020. At the 38th National Games, he set a new Games record in the 4 km Individual Pursuit. He also won gold in the Road Race and silver in the Omnium. Kumar is a Junior Warrant Officer in the Indian Air Force.
- Harshveer Singh Sekhon from Ludhiana, Punjab. Sekhon is a senior Indian track and road cyclist. He transitioned from roller skating to cycling in 2018. A multiple-time national champion, he represented India at the Asian Games 2023. In 2024, he became the first Indian endurance cyclist to compete at the Track Cycling World Championships.
Indian Development Team Riders
Here are the six riders representing the Indian Development Team:
- Sachin Desai from Maharashtra. Desai rose to prominence as a national record holder in the junior Individual Pursuit category. He is a key member of the South Western Railway cycling team. He works as a ticket examiner. Desai won a bronze medal at the 2016 Track Asia Cup and a silver medal at the 2022 All India Railway Championship.
- Manav Sarda from Bikaner, Rajasthan. Sarda is a decorated Indian cyclist with significant success at national competitions. He trains with international coaches and receives sponsorship from sports nutrition brands. Sarda regularly shares his journey on social media. He won gold at the U23 Time Trial at the National Championships in 2023 and silver in 2025.
- Vivaan Sapru from Mumbai, Maharashtra. Sapru is a young national-level cyclist. He won a silver medal in the individual pursuit at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2023. He started cycling seriously in 2017. Within a year, he received an invitation to train at the SAI National Cycling Academy in Delhi.
- Niraj Kumar from Haryana. Kumar is a track cyclist from Haryana. He has achieved notable success for both his state and his railway team. He represented India at the 19th Asian Games, participating in the Men's Team Pursuit. He achieved a sixth-place finish in the Men's Madison and a tenth-place finish in the Men's Scratch race at the 2023 Asian Championships.
- Dhruv Dahiya from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Dahiya is a fourth-generation Indian military officer. He graduated from the Indian Military Academy in June 2024. He holds national medals in skating and is pursuing a road cycling career. Dahiya has trained with top international cyclists and represented the Indian development team in various races.
- Akshar Tyagi from New Delhi. Tyagi is a former national-level speed skater who transitioned to cycling. He is now a member of the Indian national contingent. Tyagi played a key role in controlling the peloton during a U23 national road race. He is a multiple-time U23 National Individual Time Trial Champion.
The Pune Grand Tour promises exciting competition as these twelve Indian riders take on the world's best cyclists. The event highlights the growing talent and dedication within Indian cycling.
