Racing
British sprinter debuts at Trofeo Palma
February 1, 2026
Noah Hobbs’s long-awaited first appearance of 2026 is scheduled for Sunday, as the British sprinter makes his full EF Education-EasyPost debut at the Trofeo Palma.
The final race in the Challenge Mallorca will see Noah race with the WorldTour team for the first time this season after graduating from the EF Education-Aevolo team at the end of 2025.
Noah made a few appearances on the WorldTour team last year as part of his development, but now that he’s fully part of our WorldTour men’s squad, he can’t wait to get going.
“I’m really excited about this season. I’ve done what I wanted to do in the under-23 ranks with EF Education-Aevolo, and now it’s a good chance to step up and see what I can do. I’m really looking forward to races where I’ll have a team around me and have riders around me to help navigate a final. It’s very different to the U23 ranks, where you can just do it on power. I’m really looking forward to making that next step,” Noah said.
The final race of the Challenge Mallorca typically suits the sprinters, and Noah is aiming to be in the mix when it comes to the finale in Palma.
“I just can’t wait to race, to be honest. The plan is that I’ll go for the sprint, and we’ll go for that,” he said.
Last season saw Noah dominate the sprints in the U23 ranks, with the 21-year-old winning eight times in total, collecting a GC win at the Volta ao Alentejo, and several points jerseys, most notably a coveted green jersey at the Tour de l’Avenir. It was a season full of highlights, and one that he and the team certainly look back on with pride, especially with 2025 representing EF Education-Aevolo’s first season on the road.
“2025 was very good. The reason I moved to EF Education-Aevolo was to get everything right. I did my first two years at U23 and maybe could have stepped up to WorldTour then, but I wanted to do another year at that level and be in a good position to get results in the WorldTour. 2025 was all about putting it all together and getting it all right, and I think that I did that,” he said.
“My stage win at Tour de l’Avenir was a big victory for me, but I was trying for two years to get a win at Le Tour de Bretagne Cycliste, so to get three stages there last year and the points jersey was probably the highlight of the season. Also, with those wins coming earlier in the season, they brought the team together and showed what we could do with teamwork. That gives me confidence going into racing this year because I know I can compete and vie for the win. That’s why I took that extra year: so I’m going into the WorldTour and hopefully ready to compete for wins. I’m a sprinter, so I like to win,” Noah said.
The final year in the U23 ranks also gave Noah the opportunity to learn and refine his race craft. The team environment was one of positivity and mentorship, with riders encouraged to learn from their mistakes and return stronger after each race.
“I learned from every race I went to because there were so many different scenarios. I’ve picked up a lot of skills that I probably wouldn’t have now if I’d just gone straight into the pro ranks. Things like where to position yourself in the bunch, and being on the front foot, and having experience of fighting for and trying to keep yellow jerseys or points jerseys. I guess if you go straight to the WorldTour, it’s harder to put yourself in those positions. Now I know that if I’m in a jersey or one of my teammates is, I’ll know what to do about it. The final year in the U23 ranks gave me that time to develop, and you can’t develop without making mistakes,” he said.
“Being an EF Education-Aevolo rider was fun. It was a new team, and we all came together quite well. We worked as a team, tried new things and really hunted for wins. We had to be in it, to win it, and that’s the thing with EF Education-Aevolo. We didn’t want to settle for sixth place. We’d go all in for the win or the podium,” Noah added.
On Sunday, Noah takes the next step in his career, and he can’t wait to carry on his progression and even be a beacon of inspiration for the new group of U23 riders on EF Education-Aevolo.
“My advice for them would be to just take their opportunities and not be afraid to get some things wrong at times. There are guys who have been in the squad for two or three years, and you can still learn a lot from riders who are maybe one year older than you, because it’s such a small group,” he said.
Good luck, Noah. We can’t wait to see what you can achieve in the WorldTour.
Noah Hobbs
Noah Hobbs is one of the fastest young sprinters in the peloton. Racing for EF Education-Aevolo last season, Noah dashed to a stage win at the Tour de l’Avenir, three stage victories at the Tour de Bretagne, and two stage wins plus the yellow jersey at the Volta ao Alentejo. He is excited to step up to the WorldTour and show his speed in the final kilometers of the biggest races.
Noah competes with British Cycling on the track and is aiming to make the next Olympics. He thinks that the speed that he develops on the boards will help him accelerate even faster in bunch kicks.
His favorite races are the craziest ones, like the classics, which are action packed from start to finish. He always wants them to end in a sprint.
Once the peloton gets to the final kilometers, Noah locks in, making instant decisions, as he jumps from wheel to wheel through the pack, before he sees the finish line and goes with everything that he has.
His dream is to win Tour de France bunch sprints.
Noah lives in Girona during the season but goes back to England whenever he can to chill out and play padel and Xbox with his friends.
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