Skoda Hosts First L'Étape Mysuru By Tour De France - 1,500 Riders Participate

The inaugural L'Étape Mysuru by Tour de France was held in Mysuru, Karnataka today, with Skoda Auto India as title sponsor for the event's first edition in the country. More than 1,500 riders took part, including participants from the United States, Australia, Mexico, Sri Lanka and France.

Skoda's association with cycling dates back to 1895, when founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement began manufacturing bicycles in Mladá Boleslav. That history now extends to Mysuru, giving Indian cycling enthusiasts a home-soil experience of a Tour de France-linked event and the sponsorship marks Škoda's 23-year global association with the world's best known cycling race.

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said, "Cycling has been part of Skoda Auto's identity since our founding days, and bringing L'Étape by Tour de France to India is a natural extension of that heritage. What began with a bicycle in 1895 has evolved into a global relationship with cycling that spans professional racing, amateur participation and communities around the sport. L'Étape Mysuru allows us to bring this legacy to India in an experiential and inclusive way, while creating a platform for people to connect with the sport, the community and the spirit of discovery that cycling represents."

The event continued Skoda's association with GivingBack, an initiative of the Sita Bhateja Charitable Trust that supports free and subsidised neuro and spine surgeries.

L'Étape Mysuru was flagged off from the North Gate of Mysuru Palace, with the 100 km Elite Men's race starting at 6 am. The 100 km Open category followed, trailed by the 50 km Ride at 6:45 am, the 20 km Family Fun Ride at 7 am and the 1 km Kids and Community Ride at 9 am.

The 100 km route included the climb at Chamundi Hills, recognised as the event's King of the Mountain segment. Riders competed across Yellow, Green, Polka Dot and White Jersey classifications spanning the Elite, Open, Sprint and King of the Mountain categories.

Krishna Nayakodu won the Men's Elite 100 km Race in 2:14:49.729, claiming the Yellow Jersey and a Tissot watch for the overall win. Kavya Murthy topped the Women's 100 km Race in 2:56:22.610.

The Green Jersey for the Sprint Segment went to Santosh Kurani, while Sreenath Lakshmikanth claimed the Polka Dot Jersey for the Chamundi Hills King of the Mountain climb. Neeraj Kumar was named Best Young Rider of the event.

Krishna Nayakodu, winner of the Men's Elite 100 km Race, is part of the Indian Air Force and is posted in Punjab. A regular at cycling events across the country, Krishna said, "Winning the very first edition of L'Étape in India means a great deal to me. The Chamundi Hills climb really tested our legs, but the crowd support along the route kept us going. It feels incredible to bring home the Yellow Jersey, and the Tissot watch is a lovely bonus to end the day with."

Kavya Murthy, winner of the Women's 100 km Race, said: "I am a tri-athlete but this was my first cycling event and what a wonderful experience it has been. The entire route was very well-managed and extremely scenic. I thank all the organisers and all those who were involved with the event for giving us a great cycling experience."