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Age 46 in normal life is young, but not on the bicycle, meet Simeon Sebastien Green fuelling his passion

With more than 100 cycling tours across multiple countries under his belt, he has regularly finished among the top 10.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jan 22, 2026 08:52 AM IST

At 46, Green is the oldest rider among the 164 cyclists participating in the Pune Grand Tour, with more than 100 cycling tours across multiple countries under his belt.

You’d usually associate a cyclist in his mid-40s as one of those weekend warriors in lycra fuelling their passion for the sport. But not Simeon Sebastien Green.

At 46, Green is the oldest rider among the 164 cyclists participating in the Pune Grand Tour, with more than 100 cycling tours across multiple countries under his belt. And it’s not merely participation in those tours; he has regularly finished among the top 10.

Green credits his vast experience for the edge he has in the sport, especially given that most of his competitors are in their early 20s.

When reminded that 46 was still a young age, he retorted, “Yes, in normal life, but not on a bike.”

Green, who hails from France, is part of the Euro Cycling Trips CCN team that is registered with Guam, a small American island. This is his first time in India, participating in the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour 2026 — a landmark Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) 2.2 class continental multi-day road race.

Green said his team rides a lot in Europe and also takes part in races in Africa, North America and Australia.

Green is all praise for the Pune tour. “It is extremely well run and incredible. The vibe in the villages is amazing — this excitement is very infectious. In fact, this kind of infrastructure, particularly the fantastic roads, is at a higher level for races in this category,” he said.

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The only other rider in his 40s among the participants is Joachim Benedikt Becker from Germany.(Express Photo)

Referring to a pack of riders taking a tumble during Wednesday’s stage of the tour, he admitted it was a trifle unnerving. “But then, at my age, I can read the signs before a crash and can try to stay out of harm’s way. I know a bit about myself and am more of an advisor for the younger guys in the team,” he said.

Green spends most of his time racing, training and working for the Euro Cycling Trips, which involves organising cycling holidays and rides in the mountains.

Safety measures are important during cycling and while a helmet is the most protective gear, the ace cyclist says the jersey has to be extremely thin as it offers minimal resistance against the wind. “It is like wearing nothing most of the time. But when you fall, the attire offers no protection,” he said.

The only other rider in his 40s among the participants is Joachim Benedikt Becker from Germany. Becker, just 40, said this is his first time in India and also that the Tour will be his final race as he plans to retire this Friday. Becker is part of the Hucare Factory team, Great Britain.

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Asked about the competition with the youngsters, Becker quipped, “At 40, they could be like my children. I love competing, but a sport like cycling demands time and energy. At some point, one feels like drifting back to a normal life.”

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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