Collector Jitendra Dudi Inspects Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 Route, Says Event Will Put Tourism Destinations on Global Map
Collector Jitendra Dudi Inspects Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 Route, Says Event Will Put Tourism Destinations on Global Map
Pune, January 5, 2025: District Collector Jitendra Dudi on Monday inspected the entire Stage 1 route of the ‘Bajaj Pune Grand Tour–2026’, which passes through Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limits and the Mulshi and Maval talukas. He said the international cycling competition has been organised with the objective of showcasing Pune district’s vast tourism potential on the global map, boosting the local economy and creating employment opportunities for youth at the grassroots level. He appealed to citizens along the route to extend full cooperation to ensure the success of the event.
During the inspection, MLA Shankar Mandekar, Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Vivek Patil, Sub-Divisional Officer Surendra Navale, PWD Superintending Engineer Bharatkumar Bawiskar, District Planning Officer Kiran Indalkar, Mulshi Tehsildar Vijaykumar Chobhe, Maval Tehsildar Vikram Deshmukh and other officials were present.
Meetings were held at Kule in Mulshi taluka and Shantai Garden in Maval taluka with sarpanches, deputy sarpanches, gram panchayat members, officials, police patils, village-level officers and heads of educational institutions. The Collector provided guidance on preparations and public participation.
Collector Dudi said the competition is of international standard and Olympic qualification level, for which world-class roads have been developed. Around ₹400 crore has been sanctioned, and 350 km of roads were completed within three months. This year, the race will cover around 500 km, with plans to expand it annually to 1,500 km over four years. He said the event offers a major opportunity to showcase the region’s natural beauty, tourism destinations and Shiv-era history to a global audience. As the race will be broadcast live on major sports channels, he stressed the importance of cleanliness along the route and ensuring that domestic animals do not stray onto the roads.
He added that the event will be the largest cycling competition in the country, with over 150 cyclists expected to participate. The route will pass through Mulshi, Maval, Bhor and Rajgad, bringing local history and culture into national and international focus. He urged villagers to welcome Indian and international participants warmly and to line the route in a disciplined manner to cheer the athletes and boost their morale.
MLA Shankar Mandekar said the global nature of the competition is a matter of pride. He noted that significant funding has resulted in high-quality roads and will help bring local tourism destinations to the forefront, giving the region a distinct global identity. He appealed to citizens to maintain cleanliness along the route and said awareness campaigns would be undertaken.
Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said barricading would be carried out on race day, and roads along the route would be temporarily closed, with advance publicity on alternative routes. He urged spectators to watch the race from designated areas, keep pets secured, and inform authorities about stretches where wild animals may cross so that preventive measures can be taken. He also asked villages to submit lists of volunteers to support smooth conduct of the event.
The inspection began from the TCS Gate at Maan, the race’s starting point. A felicitation of the Collector and MLA was held at the Zilla Parishad School in Maan, where students raised slogans enthusiastically in support of the cycling event. The cycling trophy was unveiled, along with a promotional film and an LED van created to build awareness and excitement for the competition.
Stage 1 Route:
The race will start from TCS Gate, Maan, and pass through Ambavade village gate, Paud, Chale, Mandgaon, Kolvan, Hadshi Lake, Javan, Tikona Peth, Kale, Kadhe, Thugaon, Shivne, Done, Savale Chowk, Adhale Budruk, Bebadohal, Chandanwadi, Chandkhed, Kasarsai Nere, Marunji, Laxmi Chowk, Bhumkar Chowk, Dange Chowk, Shri Sant Namdev Maharaj Chowk, before concluding at D.Y. Patil International Institute, Akurdi.
Officials from the sports department, block development offices of Mulshi and Maval, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, MIDC, education and health departments, along with representatives of the Cycling Federation of India, various cycling associations and event management agencies, were present during the inspection.
