Benjamin Noval after dominating the Montreal Worlds: “I think I need to improve everything”
CyclingTuesday, 29 September 2026 at 21:30
Benjamin Noval is still taking in what he achieved at the Montreal World Championships. The Spanish cyclist became junior world champion in both the time trial and the road race, a double achieved by very few riders in the category. There is little time to savour his success, however: the European Championships are already on the horizon, offering another opportunity to fight for medals.
“Now that things have calmed down a bit, you start to take it all in, but you’re also already thinking about the Europeans coming up. Afterwards, there’ll be time to rest and enjoy it as much as possible,” Noval explains in an interview with AS, aware that the calendar leaves little room to pause and savour an achievement of this magnitude.
Benjamin Noval won both the junior time trial and road race at the World Championships
A World Championships that began as “just another race”
The Asturian approached the road race with the same mindset as any other event. His intention was to compete, try to win and follow his usual plan, without thinking too much about the historic significance of what was at stake.
“I just thought of it as another race and tried to win, as always,” he recalls. That perspective changed when he crossed the finish line: “When you reach the finish and realise you’ve won a World Championships, it’s something different, not just in how you see it yourself, but in how other people see it too.”
The reaction to his double soon followed. Messages arrived from family and friends, as well as prominent figures in cycling. “Above all, those from my family and from some big names in cycling, such as Alberto Contador. People from INEOS have congratulated me too,” he says.
Rather than feeling pressure or being overwhelmed by the achievement, Noval is delighted to have joined the small group of riders who have won both junior world titles.
“More than being overwhelming, it’s something that makes me happy, being one of the few to have done the double as a junior. As I said, I want to take it all in as best I can and enjoy it.”
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A spontaneous celebration that got people talking
As he celebrated his road race victory, Noval made a gesture he had not planned beforehand. “It wasn’t planned at all. It just came to me in the moment, and I don’t think it turned out too badly,” he explains with a laugh.
That spontaneity fits with how the rider describes his personality. Despite his success, he says he tries to keep his feet on the ground.
“I’m quite a calm and humble person. I try to deal with everything as well as I can, even the bad things. The good things are usually pretty easy to take anyway.”
Nature and animals help him switch off
Away from the bike, Noval finds that spending time in nature is one of his main ways to unwind. Cycling leaves little room for other interests, he admits, but when he has free time, he tries to get away from competition.
“Cycling doesn’t leave me much time for the hobbies I enjoy most. When I’m resting, I try to go for plenty of walks in the hills and spend time with animals. I try to switch off from everything outside cycling.”
It is a simple routine that helps him calmly handle the attention his results have generated.
The double has not changed his outlook
Winning two world titles at the same championships can send expectations soaring, but Noval does not want his junior success to become a burden for the future. For him, the result primarily brings reassurance and confirms that hard work can take him a long way.
“More than confidence, it gives you a bit of reassurance that you need to work well and that you can achieve it,” he says.
The rider also knows that stepping up to the professional ranks means entering a completely different environment. “It’s true that there are riders at professional level who are a long way above me,” he admits. But he still believes he can go far: “If I’ve achieved this, I think I can do it with time. Taking it calmly, little by little.”
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No rush to tackle the biggest races
International success also opens the door to thoughts of particular races on the professional calendar, especially those with a special significance in Spain. Noval, however, is avoiding firm plans.
“I’m not thinking about that at all. Of course, I’d like to ride the big races and those here in Spain. We have to take things calmly, see how the year starts and how I adapt to the distances, see what my form is like, and then decide which races I do and how we approach them.”
The priority will therefore be to adapt well and see how his body responds to the demands of a higher category before deciding his schedule.
“I think I need to improve everything”
Noval does not see his world championship double as a sign that he has reached his sporting ceiling. On the contrary, he believes there is still considerable room for improvement.
“I think I need to improve everything. In cycling now, you can’t neglect anything, because one small mistake or problem can cost you time. Above all, I need to improve my physical condition.”
That self-criticism forms part of a long-term outlook in which daily work must take precedence over individual results.
Pogacar as the benchmark for the perfect rider
When imagining the perfect cyclist, Noval points to the sport’s dominant rider, Tadej Pogacar. Even so, he believes it is impossible to find every quality in a single rider.
“I think Pogacar is dominating at the moment, and he would be the perfect rider. But to get the perfect rider, you’d have to combine three riders who each do things well, and that would be the perfect cyclist.”
His conclusion also reflects his own philosophy: there is always room to improve. “You’re never perfect, because there’s always someone who does something better than you.”
The European Championships are next
Before taking a break at the end of an intense season, Noval has one more major opportunity to add to his medal collection. The European Championships are his next target.
After winning both the time trial and the road race in Montreal, the challenge will be to carry that form into another championships while sticking to the approach that has brought him this far: calmness, hard work and ambition. “To adapt to everything as quickly as possible and race as aggressively as I can.”
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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