Young Netcompany INEOS rider makes history in Montreal: “It was a goal from the start of the season”
Cycling
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.

Javier RampeCycling Journalist
Javier Rampe is a sports analyst with more than 15 years of experience. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Rome and a Diploma in Business Studies from the University of Cádiz. Despite coming from an academic background not particularly associated with cycling, his passion for both cycling and journalism was instilled in him from an early age. He grew up following Miguel Indurain and José María “El Chava” Jiménez. An admirer of Michael Robinson’s communication style and journalistic approach, he was inspired to pursue a degree in Journalism at the University of Buenos Aires, which he is currently completing.
He has always maintained close ties with the worlds of sport and culture, contributing from a young age to sports blogs and film and music review websites. His work has appeared in media outlets such as Cope, RAI, and Radio Con Vos. He is also the founder of the cycling-focused podcast El Contraanálisis and the football interview channel Días De Fútbol, dedicated to conversations with professional footballers.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Javier has interviewed some of the most influential figures in modern cycling, including Alejandro Valverde and Tadej Pogačar, as well as key voices in anti-doping policy such as Alberto Yelmo, David Varillas, and Marcelo Milano. Marcos Maynar, in relation to the ‘Operación Ílex’ case, is also among the personalities he has interviewed. He enjoys conducting in-depth analysis of the cycling ecosystem and has attended major events such as Strade Bianche, the Vuelta a Andalucía, and Itzulia, as well as numerous national cyclo-cross races.
His background in economics, combined with extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications, drives his continuous study of positioning strategies and ensures that he always keeps his focus on crafting compelling and evocative headlines.
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- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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