JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO IT GOT OFFICIAL: INDIA GOT THE ROAD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2032. But it won’t be just about that one week. India plans to grow in cycling. The Pune Grand Tour already had over 2.5 million spectators along the route, and next year it is planned to upgrade from UCI 2.2 to 2.1. Six stages instead of five, no prologue, a total distance of roughly 950–1,099 km, scheduled for January 26–31, starting on Republic Day. Hundreds of kilometres of additional roads are also being rebuilt or upgraded, with reports of ₹700+ crore / around $80m+ in works. And in the future, they want to take it to ProSeries level, which is only one level below the WorldTour. But it is not all. They are also creating the Cycling League of India (CLI / ICL). Separate from the UCI calendar, India is launching what it calls the world’s first franchise-based professional road cycling league in November 2026, with the first round planned in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in mid-November. It is government-backed. The format will have eight city/state franchises, with 10 riders per team: 2 internationals, 6 senior Indians and 2 juniors. There will be three phases of racing (criterium, team time trial and road race) in different regions, plus a grand finale. The league is meant to create paid domestic contracts, give juniors more exposure and attract foreign riders during the European off-season. It will not be easy. Coaching, equipment and creating a cycling culture take years. But the meaning of giving India the Worlds is simple: India wants to grow cycling there.