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Pune Grand Tour: Fergus Browning tops prologue, Harshveer Singh top Indian

Among the home contingent, Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team emerged as the fastest Indian and the third-fastest Asian. His finish time was 08:42:07 which secured him the 26th starting position for Stage 1. He was followed by Vishwajeet Singh at 08:47:33, and Naveen John at 08:49:44, placing them 35th and 43rd respectively, on the starting grid for Stage 1.

2 min readPuneJan 20, 2026 12:05 PM IST

Australian cyclist Fergus Browning wins Pune Grand Tour prologue, clinches Yellow Jersey after fastest 7.5 km finish.(File Photo)

Australian cyclist Fergus Browning, representing the Terengganu Cycling Team from Malaysia, emerged as the fastest cyclist in the Prologue race of the Pune Grand Tour on January 19. Browning completed the 7.5 kms prologue in 8:05:89 minutes and also bagged the ‘Yellow Jersey’, which he will don in the upcoming stages of the race.

Among the home contingent, Harshveer Singh Sekhon of the Indian National Team emerged as the fastest Indian and the third-fastest Asian. His finish time was 08:42:07 which secured him the 26th starting position for Stage 1. He was followed by Vishwajeet Singh at 08:47:33, and Naveen John at 08:49:44, placing them 35th and 43rd respectively, on the starting grid for Stage 1.

The Prologue stage officially launched the five-day event. It ran from Goodluck Chowk to the Deccan Gymkhana bus stop, covering a fast, technical 7.5 km circuit through the city. Unlike mass-start stages, the format demanded focus and discipline, with 164 riders setting off individually at one-minute gaps.

Browning said, “I had gone out pretty hard and, with the downhill coming to the finish, you just try to hang on and go as fast as you can,” Browning said after finishing first in Prologue. Talking about the race he said, “It was amazing. I’m definitely looking forward to the hillier stages. I prefer the climbs. But we get through day by day and see how the rest of the race unfolds.” he adds.

Dylan Hopkins from Australia, representing Thailand’s Roojai Insurance Winspace, finished second with a finish time of 08:06:33. Estonia’s Andreas Miltiadis of Quick Pro Team secured third place in 08:08:92, followed by Belgium’s Yorben Lauryssen of Tarteletto-Isorex at 08:11:49. Completing the top five was Zeb Kyffin, also from Terengganu, finishing seven seconds off the leader. The top five riders will lead the cyclists into Stage 1, having secured the front positions on the starting grid.

On Tuesday’s, Stage 1 of the event called the Mulshi–Maval Miles begins. It will roll out from TCS Circle in Hinjewadi Phase 3. Spanning 87.2 km with an elevation gain of 828 metres, the route blends urban stretches with sharp turns and rolling terrain.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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