Pune Cycling Tour gets ₹145cr boost while citizens continue to dodge potholes
The civic body will spend approximately ₹2.24 crore per kilometre to repair 64.8 km of the race route over the next three months. The total route spans 75 km in Pune and 684 km across the region
Even as residents continue to report pothole-ridden streets via the PMC’s Road Mitra app, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has sanctioned ₹145 crore to upgrade roads for the Pune Grand Challenge Tour, an international cycling event slated to take place in January 2026 around Pune city.
The civic body will spend approximately ₹2.24 crore per kilometre to repair 64.8 km of the race route over the next three months. The total route spans 75 km in Pune and 684 km across the region.
Touted as India’s first professional multi-stage cycling event, the Pune Grand Challenge Tour is being modelled on prestigious global races like the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia. The event will pass through Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Baramati, Mulshi, Maval, Purandar, Bhor, and Velhe.
The race will be organised jointly by the UCI and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI). The race may also serve as a qualifier for the Olympic Games. Cyclists from around 50 countries are expected to participate, alongside 40 Indian riders, 10 from Maharashtra.
The PMC has floated tenders worth ₹145 crore in four packages to cover asphalting, chamber repairs, pavement work, and encroachment removal along the race route. Most roads in this stretch are currently in poor condition, with broken chambers and patchy, uneven surfaces caused by faulty past repairs.
Aniruddha Pawaskar, chief superintendent, PMC Road Department, said, “The roads need to meet a specific smoothness standard, measured by the International Roughness Index (IRI). For this event, IRI should be between 1.5 and 2.0. Many city roads are at 2.3–2.4, which means we need to mill and resurface them.”
Despite the high-budget preparations, citizens are frustrated by everyday road conditions. Over 1,200 complaints have been lodged on the Road Mitra app in recent months. PMC claims it has resolved 1,171 of them. However, not everyone is convinced. Civic activist Vivek Velankar criticised the timing and spending priorities.
“PMC already spent crores on road repairs in 2023 during commissioner Vikram Kumar’s tenure. Now, the same stretches are being redone for a cycling event. This is a misuse of taxpayers’ money,” Velankar stated.
“Every year, citizens struggle for pothole-free roads, yet now PMC is spending huge sums on international cyclists. Who will maintain these roads after the event? Can the civic body guarantee their upkeep for at least three years so the public also benefits?” he added.
