Can Pune roads host international cycling event? 500 crore budget, speed breakers to disappear, and iron barriers to come on mountain stretches

As the city revives its cycling past after the Bombay-Poona race last happened in 2018, this time welcoming international riders, there is curiosity over the state of roads.

A December 15 deadline looms over contractors building these 4-stage routes with pinpoint specifications, and the District Collector had announced early in October that a 1 lakh/day penalty would be imposed in case of failure of completion. But it is the qualitative road surface standards that will eventually decide the success of the event.

Tournament director Pinaki Bysack, who has worked with UCI for large events like Asian Games and World Championships for over four decades, says road surfaces for competitions are delicate affairs. With almost skincare-like specifications. A particular pimple-like peeve were speedbumps (speed breakers) that Indians slap on haphazardly onto the roads, and are dreaded by competitive cyclists.

“They ride on delicate wheels and need absolutely smooth delicate surfaces because roads are the main factor. In my first survey I realised, roads are not rideable at all because of scratches, and I couldn’t bring international riders here,” Bysack recalls. But Pune’s rural mountainous outskirts, for Stage 2 and 3 left him smitten. “It’s as pretty as Europe. I sent photographs of some sections to pro teams there, and they absolutely wanted to come to India,” he says. While the state government and cycling authorities signed off on permissions and funding, the reality of Indian roads was hard to forget.

“But it is my moral responsibility to deliver a safe race, so it was a relief when the authorities said ‘You are the expert, we are not.’ PWD engineers have been thorough and willing to learn,” he says. The speed-breakers had to absolutely go. “They will be removed on the route, and after the race they will fabricate floaters, wider bumps over 3-5 metres,” he says, joking that the X-Games adventure can be done away with.

Roads can be eyesores in other ways. “I need footpaths on city roads to be clean and we will remove the unwanted sudden plantations and broken wastebins and cracked tiles,” Bysack said, adding that the aesthetic mattered as much as quality of road material. District Collector Jitendra Dudi who thought up the idea back in June, had instructed contractors to follow UCI quality -protocols.

While an extended monsoon meant work got underway only in October, Bysack stressed he was aware that a near Rs 500 cr budget for road surface treatment was a humongous budget for just 437 kms of a city. Unwittingly, the cycling event is extracting a commitment out of civic authorities to maintain these stretches. “It’s big money and we can’t keep constructing this every year. We had to do it in such a way that it lasted for 5 years, or 2 minimum, given next year we will apply for a 2.1 Level event,” he says.

The Cycling Federation of India was happy the Maharashtra government took responsibility because of the road race requirements. “We hardly do international races because let’s be absolutely clear, India is not a vehicle friendly nation,” says CFI secretary Maninder Pal Singh. “With our civic sense, roads needing sanitizing, we were more than happy Maharashtra volunteered,” he recalls. While India didn’t have even a continental team registered in the country, success in the inaugural edition can help push for a 2.1 event. “And eventually a pro event like Tour de France and Giro d’Italia,” he says. “Once the government invests so much, makes roads as good as can be, it won’t be a one-off,” he adds.

Bysack was a rider himself in the UK 1979 through 84, and after 4 national titles, joined UCI in 2004. He has managed to draw the interest of the UCI director who’s likely to visit, and said he had to decline applications to fill 30 teams (24 pro and 6 national), after word spread.

The mountain stretches needed more detailed work, given riders go at 80-85 kph on the downward descent. “There were hairpin bends right after 180° and very acute angles on corners when the tendency is to go all out, and the centrifugal force pulls the rider. We will put in place iron barriers, nettings and 100m long thick cushions, so there’s no toppling off the cliff,” he says.

“Europe thinks only they can do these pretty races. I see no difference, in fact working with Indians was better than countries abroad,” says the father of a daughter who studied 8 years in Pune.

Singh has been sharing pictures of the hilly landscape and gloating about it, saying, “It’s going to look fabulous. The mountains, waterfall and rural scenic beauty will surprise everyone. Though I get goosebumps thinking Indian riders will be out there with top names,” he says.

For its 52 completed editions while peaking in the 1980s, the ‘Bombay Poona Cycle race’, would crown a prestigious ‘Bhor ghaat cha Raja’. It was the local equivalent of a polka dot jersey for best mountain climber, at the Tour de France.

“I don’t want to promise the moon, but… ” Singh trails off. Just as well, because Pinaki Bysack might not clear the lunar surface with craters, for his riders. By December 15, he will know if Pune is good enough.