Pune, Jan 22 (NationPress) Cameron Nicholas Scott, racing for Li Ning Star from China, displayed remarkable strength as the competitors arrived in Baramati and neared the finish line at Vidya Pratishthan, Pencil Chowk. After enduring a grueling race, he clinched victory in the third stage of the Pune Grand Tour 2026 on Thursday.

Scott completed the stage in 03:04:13, but his teammate Luke Mudgway successfully held onto the Yellow Jersey of the race leader as the final stage of India’s premier cycling event approaches.

The Dutch cyclist Viego Tijssen of Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam earned the White Jersey as the Best Young Rider (U-23), while Harshveer Singh Sekhon from the Indian National Team regained the Blue Jersey as India’s top performer that day.

Scott’s decisive acceleration in the final meters allowed him to surpass Georgios Bouglas (03:04:13) from Burgos Burpellet BH, Spain, who had been leading for significant portions of the race. Timothy Dupont (03:04:13) from Tarteletto–Isorex, Belgium, rounded out the podium, with Zeb Kyffin from Terengganu Cycling Team, Malaysia, finishing fourth.

Close behind the leaders, Clement Alleno (03:04:13) of Burgos Burpellet BH finished in fifth place, having dominated the overall King of the Mountains standings and earned the Polka Dot Jersey. Previous stage winners Luke Mudgway (03:04:13) could not keep pace and ended up in sixth position.

Despite not making the podium, Mudgway skillfully minimized his losses, securing the Green Jersey for the Best Sprinter while maintaining his grip on the Yellow Jersey as the overall leader.

Following three stages, Mudgway leads the general classification with a total time of 07:36:10, holding a narrow 14-second lead over Carter Alan Bettles from Roojai Insurance Winspace, Thailand. Yorben Lauryssen from Tarteletto–Isorex, Belgium, is still in contention, just 17 seconds behind.

The initial climbs immediately stretched the peloton, while relentless attacks from competing teams left little room for recovery. Riders were arranged in single file along exposed stretches, with crosswinds adding to the challenge before the route briefly flattened.

After the stage, Cameron Scott remarked that the day had proven tougher than many had anticipated, saying, “I think it was a lot harder than people expected. The first two climbs were quite tough, and the pace really stayed on over the top. There were lots of attacks from the other teams, and the race didn’t really stop until we got through the next town and onto the straight roads, but even then, it was a little bit crosswind, so it was actually quite a tough day.”

When asked about the most challenging aspects, Scott noted the winding roads at the summit of the climbs, stating, “The roads over the top of the climb were really twisty, and I had a lot of fun, actually. Lots of corners and just high-speed single file.”

Aside from the stage victory, secondary classifications continued to evolve. The Orange Jersey for the ‘Best Asian Rider’ was retained by Jambaljamts Sainbayar of Burgos Burpellet BH, who has shown consistency across various terrains, emerging as one of the surprises of the tour.

With three stages behind us, the Pune Grand Tour is now heading towards its finale. Stage Four, the Pune Pride Loop, will span 95 kilometers with an elevation of 578 meters, winding through the city’s modern streets and historical sites, including Shaniwar Wada. The technical sections and likely high-speed finish promise one last chance for excitement. The Yellow Jersey continues to rest on Luke Mudgway’s shoulders, but with time gaps measured in seconds, the final chapter of the Bajaj Pune Grand Tour remains wide open.

Results - Stage 3

Yellow Jersey - MUDGWAY Luke – LI NING STAR

Green Jersey - A BOUGLAS Georgios – BURGOS BURPELLET BH

Polka Dot Jersey - (King of Mountains) - ALLENO Clement – BURGOS BURPELLET BH

Orange Jersey - A SAINBAYAR Jambaljamts – BURGOS BURPELLET BH

White Jersey - TIJSSEN Viego – WIELERPLOEG GROOT AMSTERDAM

Blue Jersey - SEKHON Harshveer Singh – INDIAN CYCLING TEAM