Luke Mudgway continued his dominant run at the Pune Grand Tour 2026 by winning Stage 2 of the race and retaining the Yellow Jersey. The Maratha Heritage Circuit saw a photo-finish battle, with the top six riders clocking the same time.
Luke Mudgway of the Li Ning Star team from China continued his strong form at the ongoing Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 by winning Stage 2 on Wednesday, January 21. After winning the opening stage called Mulsi-Maval Miles (87.2 km, Elevation 828 metres), Mudgway once again showed his strength by claiming the Maratha Heritage Circuit and successfully retaining the Yellow Jersey.
Mudgway completed the 105.3 km stage in a time of 02:31:49. It was a very close and intense finish, with the top six riders all recording the same time. The final rankings were decided by a photo finish.
Alan Carter Bettles of Roojai Insurance Winspeed team from Thailand finished second. Belgian rider Yorben Lauryssen of Tarteletto–Isorex secured third place, marking his second straight podium finish after also finishing third on Stage 1.
Clement Alleno and Jambaljamts Sainbayar of Burgos Burpellet BH, Spain, finished fourth and fifth respectively, while Stefan Benetton of Eurocyclingtrips–CCN, Guam, came in sixth.
Mudgway speaks after his victory
Speaking after the race, Mudgway said the stage was very tough and praised his teammates for their support. He explained how his team controlled the race and helped him in the final 10 kilometres after the climb. Mudgway added that although many teams tried to attack towards the end, they stayed strong and worked together to set up his sprint finish.
“It was really tough today. My teammates were amazing. We controlled it the whole stage. And then a lot of teams tried to attack us towards the end, but we stayed strong. Then I had a teammate help me for the last 10km after the climb, and he rode us into the finish, and then, I got to have another sprint today, and I was lucky to get the win. So, happy to take the win again today, but there’s a couple more hard stages,” Mudgway told reporters after the win.
Mudgway also said that the coming stages may offer chances for his teammates, as the remaining routes are flatter and have fewer big climbs. He felt that Stage 2 was probably the last major climbing challenge of the race.
“As I said before, hopefully my sprinted teammates can have a shot over the next couple days. Yeah, because it’s a bit flatter. We kind of don’t have as bigger climbs anymore. I think today was probably the last hard day. So, in terms of climbing yeah, we’ll see if I can return the favour for my teammates over the next couple stages,” Mudgway told Firstpost.
Manav Sarda leads the Indian riders
The Orange Jersey for the Best Asian Rider remained with Jambaljamts Sainbayar, whose steady performances continue to impress. Dutch rider Tijssen Viego of Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam claimed the White Jersey as the Best Young Rider. Among Indian riders, Manav Sarda of the Indian Development Team stood out to take the Blue Jersey as India’s Leading Performer of the day.
The Maratha Heritage Circuit started from the Ladies Club in Camp at 12:30 pm and finished at Nanded City along Sinhagad Road. With Stage 2 now complete, the
2026 Pune Grand Tour moves into its longest and most tactical phase. Stage 3, named the Western Ghats Gateway, will cover 134 kilometres from Purandar to Baramati, with riders climbing up to 1,024 metres.
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