OFFICIAL: India to host UCI Road World Championships for first time as Pune awarded historic 2032 edition
CyclingThursday, 24 September 2026 at 10:00
India will host the UCI Road World Championships for the first time in 2032, with Pune confirmed as the venue for what will be a historic edition of cycling’s biggest annual championship.
The decision was announced during the 195th UCI Congress in Montreal on Thursday, held alongside the 2026 World Championships.
Pune’s selection marks a significant expansion of the Road World Championships into a new territory. India has never previously hosted the event and, with almost one-fifth of the world’s population, the country offers the UCI access to one of the largest potential cycling audiences anywhere in the world.
Representatives from 117 national federations across five continents attended the Congress, where the UCI also confirmed hosts for a range of World Championships between 2027 and 2034. In total, 19 championships across 11 countries were awarded.
Tadej Pogacar has won the world title in 2024 and 2025
Pune set for historic first
The 2032 Road World Championships will put Pune at the centre of international cycling and give India its first opportunity to host the sport’s premier road racing event.
UCI president David Lappartient highlighted the significance of the decision during the Congress, pointing to the potential for the championships to help grow both competitive cycling and everyday bicycle use in India.
The scale of the country gives the 2032 event unusual potential beyond the races themselves. India is home to almost a fifth of the global population, and the UCI hopes the championships can act as a catalyst for the development of cycling at both elite and grassroots level.
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UCI expands World Championships calendar
India’s selection forms part of a wider UCI push to take major championships into a broader range of markets. The newly announced hosts cover Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia, with World Championships awarded across road cycling, track, mountain bike, BMX, gravel, cyclocross and other disciplines.
Pune will host the Road World Championships in 2032, while the 2034 Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships will take place in the Dutch provinces of Groningen and Drenthe.
France prepares for record-breaking 2027 Worlds
The Congress also formally presented the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships, which will take place in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc, France, from August 25 to September 5.
That edition will bring together 20 different World Championships, making it the largest cycling event organised to date. The presentation featured Haute-Savoie Departmental Council president Martial Saddier, French Cycling Federation and organising committee president Michel Callot, and five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault, who will serve as an ambassador for the event.
Before India makes its historic debut as a Road World Championships host in 2032, France will therefore stage another landmark edition of the UCI’s expanded multi-discipline format.
World Championships awarded by the UCI
| Year | World Championship | Host | Country |
| 2027 | Mountain Bike Eliminator World Championships | Dushanbe | Tajikistan |
| 2027 | Snow Bike World Championships | Châtel | France |
| 2027 | Masters Cyclocross World Championships | Mugello | Italy |
| 2028 | Indoor Cycling World Championships | Wevelgem | Belgium |
| 2028 | Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships | Castro | Italy |
| 2028 | Masters Track World Championships | Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | France |
| 2028 | Masters Mountain Bike World Championships | Aprica | Italy |
| 2029 | Masters Cyclocross World Championships | Mugello | Italy |
| 2029 | Masters Track World Championships | Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | France |
| 2029 | Masters Mountain Bike World Championships | Aprica | Italy |
| 2029 | Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships | Atlixco, Puebla | Mexico |
| 2030 | BMX Racing World Championships | Valmiera | Latvia |
| 2030 | Gravel World Championships | Turnhout | Belgium |
| 2031 | Cyclocross World Championships | Benidorm | Spain |
| 2032 | Cyclocross World Championships | Fyn | Denmark |
| 2032 | BMX Racing World Championships | Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | France |
| 2032 | Mountain Bike World Championships | Mont-Sainte-Anne | Canada |
| 2032 | Road World Championships | Pune | India |
| 2034 | Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships | Groningen and Drenthe | Netherlands |
In 2032, Pune will become the first Indian city to host the UCI Road World Championships, bringing the rainbow jersey races to the country for the first time.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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