Here's why the 2032 World Championships were awarded to India, not the Netherlands
CyclingThursday, 24 September 2026 at 18:56
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Follow us on GoogleThe decision has been made: it won’t be the 2032 World Cycling Championships, but the 2034 edition that will be held in the northern provinces of The Netherlands. Confirmation that India will host the UCI Road World Championships for the first time in 2032 came on Wednesday at the UCI Congress. After the event in Montréal, IDL Pro Cycling discussed the details with ambassador Bauke Mollema and organiser Thijs Rondhuis.
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Why did the 2032 World Championships go to India, not the Netherlands?
Rondhuis, who was born and raised in Drenthe, is seeing his life’s work come to fruition. When we spoke with him around 6:30 p.m. local time, the taxi to the Montreal airport was already waiting. However, we seriously doubt whether the energetic cycling organiser will be able to get any sleep on the overnight flight to Amsterdam, given how excited he was after he was able to shout from the rooftops that the World Cycling Championships are coming to the Northern Netherlands.
When asked, Rondhuis took us back to the moment he learned that the World Cup would indeed be held in Groningen and Drenthe. “That was really at the end of the day yesterday. We had submitted a bid for 2032, but we knew pretty quickly that India (the city of Pune, ed.) was doing the same.”
"Over the past two weeks, we’ve received clear signals from the UCI that India was the preferred choice. India is an emerging market in uncharted territory, a new continent they want to get on bikes. It’s a bit like the Rwanda story,” Rondhuis knew it would be difficult to compete with the proposal and rupees coming from Asia.
"Two weeks ago, we decided to engage in dialogue with the UCI. We were in daily contact to see if we could create a situation that would allow us to bring the event here. And it wasn't until last week that 2034 came into the picture," continues the man behind the company Courage Events.
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Bauke Mollema alongside UCI President David Lappartient in Aigle.
Bauke Mollema was an ambassador for the Dutch bid
Mollema, who will be riding his final World Championships in Montreal on Sunday, also looked sharp in his suit. “My contribution behind the scenes was only a small one. The success is mainly thanks to the organizers and policymakers, who provided truly excellent support. Without that support, it would never have been possible, of course. I find it very special and I’m proud that this World Championship is coming to Groningen and Drenthe, because I still feel connected to the area.”
"I made a great video to showcase the region, and I went along with a delegation to Aigle. They really liked that an active cyclist was part of the group," he explains. Mollema, who grew up in Zuidhorn, isn’t yet sure what role he’ll play for the event over the next 8 years. “If I can contribute in any way, I’d be happy to. This is close to my heart, and I still feel very connected to the city of Groningen and the region. Whatever I can do to help—they can give me a call.”
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Bauke Mollema in Montreal, where he will compete in his final World Championships on Sunday.
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India is a country without professional cyclists'
The choice of India is bold, and it comes with open questions. As Cyclingnews points out, India has never produced a professional cyclist or a professional team. The country has held very few UCI races, and cycling ranks low among its popular sports.
India's first UCI stage race took place just nine months ago. The Pune Grand Tour ran in January 2026 as a 2.2-ranked race, the lowest level of international stage racing. The World Championships are on another level entirely. They bring the best riders in the world, national teams from dozens of countries and a week of elite, junior and under-23 racing.
There are early signs of support. According to Cyclingnews, around 2.5 million spectators lined the roads during the Pune Grand Tour. The race will move up to 2.1 status in 2027 and expand to six stages. More than £49 million is being invested in new roads.
India hoping for 'exposure to the highest standards of the sport'
Maninder Pal Singh, secretary general of the Cycling Federation of India, explained what this news meant for India: "For Indian cycling, this is an opportunity to move from participation to performance and from hosting international races to becoming a part of cycling's global conversation."
"The years leading to 2032 will be about creating stronger pathways for our athletes, coaches and technical officials, bringing international expertise into India and giving our riders greater exposure to the highest standards of the sport. The Cycling Federation of India is committed to using this opportunity to build an ecosystem that can compete with the best in the world.
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India has big Olympic ambitions
The bid is also part of a larger sporting plan. The Indian government wants the 2036 Olympic Games for Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat. Gujarat is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. Ahmedabad will also host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Cycling is a core Olympic sport, so a World Championships gives India a chance to prove it can run a major international event. Singh made that link clear.
"The Pune Grand Tour has changed how we view cycling in this country," he said. He added that the race was also a chance "to show the world what our country is capable of" in staging and broadcasting sport.
The UCI looking beyond Europe
The decision also fits the UCI's long-term plan. Its 2030 Agenda aims to spread professional cycling beyond its traditional base in Western Europe.
Recent host choices show that plan at work. In 2025, Kigali in Rwanda became the first African city to host the road Worlds. Abu Dhabi follows in 2028, and Japan is being considered for 2035. Picking India over the Netherlands also avoided a fourth European host in a row.
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Properly chuffed for Drenthe and Groningen. Mollema’s involvement is a lovely touch—his TT recon brains could shape a savage course across the Hunebedden routes and VAM-berg style ramps. Please tell me there’ll be echelons and a finish in the city centre?cadencekingm24-09-2026
- - Great read, but a tad harsh to say Pidcock “didn’t really impress in Kigali” without context on travel/MTB load and Vuelta legs. He’s clearly calibrated. If the weather turns soggy and it’s stop–start, he’s my pick. If it’s a pure watts war, Yates for the podium.gearguru3324-09-2026
- - Onley as “shadow leader” feels a touch sensational. He’s brilliant — white jersey at the Vuelta is massive — but Worlds is about timing the move with 2 to go in Montreal. If he marks Ciccone/Skjelmose types while Pidcock waits, perfecto. If they fight each other, GB loses. Sencillo.michael5424-09-2026
- - Donovan is the sleeper pick here. His late-season form always peaks nicely, and those punchy climbs lap after lap could be perfect for keeping Pidcock out of the wind till the final 2 laps. Just please no early hero pulls.pedalpowe2924-09-2026
- - Wait, I’m a bit confused — did Pidcock really ride the Worlds road race in 2024 and underperform, or is that mixing up with the Olympic year calendar? Also, Pinarello - Q5 for Wright… is that a rebrand I missed?davidm24-09-2026
- - Love the deep dive on the GB lineup. Yates as road captain on a Montreal-style circuit is spot on — that Parc du Mont-Royal attrition suits him and Pidders. Curious how they’ll balance Onley if he’s got the legs to go long. Could be a lethal 1-samanthak24-09-2026
- - Qué historia tan guapa, padres y hijos cruzando eras. ¡Vamos Noval! Pero ojo, Enzo en un circuito de desgaste puede dar la sorpresa el jueves.robert6523-09-2026
- - Not sure about signing a 17-year-old to a two-year deal already. INEOS have form with youth, but can we cool it a bit? Let the kid race before the hype train goes loco.samanthak23-09-2026
- - Question: if it’s3 km, why did Hincapie say “a pretty long 26 minutes” when Noval’s time was17? Is the Montreal finish really that much slower for some riders or was wind a factor?cadencekingm23-09-2026
- - Love the generational storyline here — Hincapie vs Noval, sons of old US Postal teammates. Enzo’s Paris-Roubaix Juniors top-10 shows he’ll be dangerous on Thursday with all those Parc climbs.lindae23-09-2026
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