Young Netcompany INEOS rider makes history in Montreal: “It was a goal from the start of the season”
CyclingTuesday, 22 September 2026 at 22:26
Benjamín Noval already has his first rainbow jersey. The Asturian was crowned junior world time trial champion at the Montreal Worlds after delivering a superb ride and beating all his rivals in a race defined by the course’s technical difficulty.
The Spanish rider came to this World Championship aiming for the podium, though he admitted he wasn’t entirely sure gold was within reach. In the end, he took the extra step and turned possibility into reality.
“It was an objective from the start of the season, but for the TT I wasn’t so sure I had this chance. I knew it was possible, but I still can’t believe it and I’m still taking it in,” Noval told Teledeporte after crossing the line.
The win also carries special meaning for the young Asturian and his family. After a season of targeted work, especially in recent weeks, Noval found the perfect reward in Montreal and ticked off one of the major goals he had set at the start of the year.
Preparation that paid off
Noval explained that the victory was the result of work that began many months ago and intensified in the closing part of the season. The Asturian prepared specifically for the time trial and arrived in Montreal with better sensations than at previous events.
“We’ve been working on it all season, especially this last part of the season, so I prepared the TT and this Worlds much better,” said the new world champion. That preparation proved decisive for tackling a race where every detail could make the difference.
The course didn’t make it easy either. A slew of corners turned the opening kilometres into an exercise in precision and forced riders to take calculated risks. Noval initially chose a conservative strategy to avoid any mistake that might compromise his chances.
“At the start I felt I’d gone out a bit too conservatively because there were so many corners and I didn’t want to risk a crash,” he admitted. However, that early caution didn’t stop him from finding his best rhythm later and beginning to open gaps.
🗣️ Benjamín Noval tras ganar el oro: "Era un objetivo desde principio de la temporada. No me lo creo todavía".
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) September 22, 2026
El español ha ganado en la contrarreloj junior masculina del Mundial de ciclismo.
📺 Sigue la entrega de medallas EN DIRECTO en Teledeporte y @rtveplay… pic.twitter.com/yRsy5PY5wr
Once through the most technical sector, Noval completely changed tack. “After that, once I hit the favourable terrain, it was full gas to the line,” he explained. The Asturian then exploited the course to accelerate and seal a victory that lets him close his junior chapter with one of the biggest prizes possible.
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The title also serves as personal redemption after what happened last year. “After last year I think it had to happen, and, well, in the end it was possible,” he said. At just 17, Noval underlines his huge potential and adds a rainbow jersey to a season that had already shown repeated flashes of his quality.
The next step will be even bigger. Next season he will move up to the WorldTour with Netcompany INEOS, but before tackling that new challenge he can enjoy a world title he had been chasing for months. Montreal is now part of his story and, as he admitted after the race, he still needs time to process that he is world champion.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Glad to hear it!AndrewK22-09-2026
- I’d say there’s a 50% chance of a Remco/Wout/MVDP podium but won’t wet myself trying to attribute an order. 80% chance 2 of them medal. Again, not going to try to predict which 2Jumpyjohn22-09-2026
- Yep, as far as I know, Pog only wins road cycling, doubt he’d win on the track or break the hour record, or do that well at any of the other cycling disciplines that get rainbow jerseys. I think Vos managed to collect 5 different ones.Jumpyjohn22-09-2026
- At least you don’t have to pay attention to anyone or road clutter. Sometimes it’s more relaxing to be in front than surrounded by nervous movers. As for the peleton, I thought there was a chase group in between too? And in the end, nobody knows how deep he really went, he may have kept back a little in case of necessity.Jumpyjohn22-09-2026
- Would have been so much more interesting to have them ride the elite course so we could discuss a second asterisk for PS not riding.Jumpyjohn22-09-2026
- Ganna was not actually much better than the very young 4th nobody is speaking about, the crash kind of hides the reality, Remco is smaller, Jakob is younger, Paul is younger and not even a specialist, Ganna’s days of domination are slowly coming to an end, if not already over.Jumpyjohn22-09-2026
- I would have a very good look at the aerodynamics of his upper body positioning compared to e.g. RE, seems to me he’s using far too many watts fighting against wind. We aren’t all born to slipstream so unless he’s prepared to start looksmaxxing, he’s not going to catch up now that all the youngsters are already being prepared for this discipline at an early age. It’s similar to swimming, if you don’t sculpt your profile for it very early on, your body will never naturally optimise for something so unnatural.Jumpyjohn22-09-2026
- That dryness snuck up on me like a silent assassin. Bravo @AndrewK, that was delivered beautifully, genuinely made me chuckle out loud.anonymouscyclist22-09-2026
- Well said Seth ❤️anonymouscyclist22-09-2026
- Did Horner somehow miss the Paris Olympics, Remco as the first man in history to sweep both the Road and TT gold? Doubting his ability by comparing this Sunday’s course to Rwanda is a bold choice. I’d liken this weekend's course to the Paris 2024 road race. Whilst the course is almost identical in length to the Paris Road course, it does include an extra 1000m elevation gain, with longer, steeper climbs. I’m confident Remco could podium this, but win? I’m hesitant to hedge my bets. I don’t think tired legs will be the main factor, but more a course that doesn’t entirely suit his unique repertoire. Who knows, but I’m looking forward to it. There are a few riders I’d like to see in the rainbow colours next year.anonymouscyclist22-09-2026
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