2026 UCI Road World Championships: Benjamín Noval claims dominant victory in junior men’s road race

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The race played out across ten laps of the punishing 13.4km Mont Royal course, each circuit adding roughly 269 metres of elevation gain. Riders faced the toughest tests on Voie Camillien-Houde and Chemin de la Polytechnique, where gradients topped 11% in places, and the finish on Avenue du Parc that looked gentle but ground riders down with its long, steady drag.

Lots of chatter and nerves on display on the start line as the 157 riders, representing 64 nations, lined up on Avenue du Parc on a beautiful sunny day in Montréal.

Mikołaj Legieć of Poland made the first attack but he was reeled back in a few kilometres later. Solo attacks continued but no one could break clear as riders continued to be shed off the back of the peloton, whittling down in relentless attrition.

On the second lap, Murat Kuitenov (Kazakhstan) went off the front solo, while in the back silver medallist in the ITT, Victor de Smets (Belgium) suffered a mechanical, and after a quick bike change, had to mount a chase.

On lap 3 of 10, Lancelot Gayant (France) countered after Kuitenov was reeled in with 97km to go, bringing three riders with him in Carter Deveer (Canada), Sindre Orholm-Lønseth (Norway) and Luca Martinez (Spain). The quartet held a slim 15-second lead by the end of the third lap with De Smets finally back in the peloton.

Martinez was refusing to pull in the break after Deveer dropped out a few kilometres later. With 76km remaining, Sander Willems (Belgium) bridged the 50-second gap to the leading duo while Martinez attacked again, and was joined by teammate Raul Lopez and then Maksym Shcherbatskyi (Ukraine) to form a chase group.

Lancelot Gayant and Simon Defrance (France) (Image credit: Getty Images)

Halfway in the race, Gayant, Orholm-Lønseth and Willems had 1:07 on the chase trio, with another group surging up, only a further eight seconds back. The second chase group included Dean Woolley (South Africa), Jop van den Biggelaar (Netherlands), Elsasso and the USA duo of Enzo Hincapie and Rowan Nistal. The peloton, reduced by half, was also closing in on the chase groups.

A massive acceleration on the climb by newly crowned TT champion Benjamin Noval (Spain) not only shut down the chase groups but also reduced the gap to the lead trio to 32 seconds.

The attacks continued, with Brandon Davide Fedrizzi (Italy) initiating another chase group that included Noval, while another duo of Noel Goijert (Netherlands) and Tobias Gren (Denmark) followed 20 seconds further back. The peloton, of around 50 riders, trailed the break by 1:32.

Noval and Patrik Pezzo Rosola (Italy) bridged to the second chase group with 44km to go, and immediately went to the front, upping the pace to 57km/hr, to connect with the first chase group four kilometres later as they saw three laps to go. Up front, the lead trio kept a consistent pace throughout and held a 1:06 lead.

Taking advantage of the climb, Noval accelerated to briefly shed riders, but Birkedal caught back on after the flatter roads and immediately attacked. The Spaniard tried again and again and finally powered away with Defrance on his wheel as the Frenchman refused to work with his teammate in the break.

Noval and Defrance made it to the front of the race with 30 km to go, with 14 seconds to the revamped chase group with Fedrizzi burying himself for his teammate Pezzo Rosola, Birkedal and Kings.

Noval put in a massive acceleration as the front group crossed the finish line with two laps to go, as the chase group was a slim six seconds back. Gayant and Defrance regrouped quickly to give chase, as his manager screamed encouragement from the car.

Noval had 30 seconds with one lap to a solo Defrance who was not giving up as his teammate Payant was fading. Behind, Gal Stare (Slovenia), Michael Hettegger (Sweden) and Elias Wandel (Sweden) made their way to the chase group in a battle for bronze.

Gap had 30 seconds on Defrance with one lap to go, as Gayant was paying for his time in the break and was caught by the chase group inside eight kilometres to go.

In the battle for bronze, Wandel was able to pass Kings in the finish straight to finish third, 2:12 behind the winner.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Rank

Name

Time

1

Benjamin Noval (Spain)

3:23:35

2

Simon Defrance (France)

0:00:42

3

Elias Wandel (Sweden)

0:02:12

4

Owen Kings (Germany)

0:02:12

5

Michael Hettegger (Austria)

0:02:12

6

Gal Stare (Slovenia)

0:02:17

7

Brandon Davide Fedrizzi (Italy)

0:02:26

8

Enzo Hincapie (United States)

0:02:26

9

Sander Willems (Belgium)

0:02:26

10

Patrik Pezzo Rosola (Italy)

0:02:26

11

Maj Bohak (Slovenia)

0:02:31

12

Sindre Orholm-Lonseth (Norway)

0:02:33

13

Lancelot Gayant (France)

0:02:37

14

Marwan Barhoumi (Switzerland)

0:02:41

15

Vic de Smet (Belgium)

0:02:41

16

Milan Husenica (Slovakia)

0:02:41

17

Finlay Storrie (Great Britain)

0:02:41

18

Michael Ortner (Austria)

0:02:41

19

Vanja Kuntarič Žibert (Slovenia)

0:02:44

20

Jop van den Biggelaar (Netherlands)

0:02:44

21

Malthe Risbjerg (Denmark)

0:02:44

22

Connor Wright (Australia)

0:02:47

23

Kristian Haugetun (Norway)

0:02:47

24

Daniel Moreno (Mexico)

0:02:49

25

Luca Gugnino (Italy)

0:02:49

26

Andre Free (New Zealand)

0:02:49

27

Raul Lopez (Spain)

0:02:49

28

Maksym Shcherbatskyi (Ukraine)

0:02:49

29

Celian Rolland (France)

0:02:49

30

Gus Dutton (Great Britain)

0:02:49

31

Marek Stiblik (Czechia)

0:02:49

32

Santiago Wrolich (Austria)

0:02:49

33

Evander Wishart (Great Britain)

0:02:49

34

Jose Rodriguez (Mexico)

0:03:00

35

Rowan Nistal (United States)

0:03:16

36

Alistair Forsyth (Australia)

0:03:26

37

Takumi Matsumura (Japan)

0:03:53

38

Niklas Wiesmayr (Austria)

0:06:10

39

Adam Drozdowski (Poland)

0:06:20

40

Bas Vanden Eynde (Belgium)

0:06:20

41

Noel Goijert (Netherlands)

0:06:20

42

Aitor Martinez (Spain)

0:06:20

43

Nikolaos Georgousakis (Greece)

0:06:20

44

Sebastian Suppi (Estonia)

0:06:20

45

Oscar Lorentsson (Sweden)

0:06:20

46

Freddie Winkley (Ireland)

0:06:20

47

Bastian Laffitte (France)

0:06:20

48

Patrik Zacharzewski (Sweden)

0:06:20

49

Marko Cickaric (Serbia)

0:06:20

50

Dexter Townsend (Great Britain)

0:06:25

51

Tobias Gren (Denmark)

0:06:25

52

Zachari Moreau (Canada)

0:06:30

53

Julius Birkedal (Denmark)

0:06:36

54

Dimas Felipe Mota (Brazil)

0:06:38

55

Goncalo Costa (Portugal)

0:07:33

56

Enrico Andrea Balliana (Italy)

0:09:40

57

Mads Furenes (Norway)

0:09:40

58

Benson Boys (New Zealand)

0:09:41

59

Erik Eiksund Oksnes (Norway)

0:09:44

60

Georgs Tjumins (Latvia)

0:09:46

61

Almir Valiyev (Kazakhstan)

0:09:46

62

Kristian Flaterud (Norway)

0:09:46

63

Alex Botha (New Zealand)

0:09:46

64

Timotej Michalik (Slovakia)

0:09:46

65

Alejandro Pamplona (Colombia)

0:09:51

66

Selmane Mansouri (Algeria)

0:09:53

67

Yuki Inoue (Japan)

0:09:53

68

Benjamin Coates (Australia)

0:10:04

69

Yandel de Jesus (Puerto Rico)

0:11:35

70

Hugh Og Mulhearne (Ireland)

0:11:42

71

Michal Kacina (Slovakia)

0:12:20

72

Benedek Berencsi (Hungary)

0:13:02

73

Finn Bastiaanssen (Netherlands)

0:13:54

74

Thijs Wiersma (Netherlands)

0:14:50

75

Dean Woolley (South Africa)

0:16:01

76

Tristan Hardy (Mauritius)

0:16:01

77

Leon Atkins (Great Britain)

0:16:30

78

Jakob Resen (Denmark)

0:17:17

79

Antoine Salamin (Switzerland)

0:17:17

80

Matas Kubilius (Lithuania)

0:17:42

81

Max Jerzyna (Germany)

0:17:42

82

Cormac Nagle (United States)

0:17:42

83

Guido Viero (Italy)

0:17:42

84

So Tanaka (Japan)

0:17:42

DNF

Ollie Jirovec (Australia)

Row 84 – Cell 2

DNF

Vadim Larichev

Row 85 – Cell 2

DNF

Mark Martin Toth (Hungary)

Row 86 – Cell 2

DNF

Lachlan Stewart (Australia)

Row 87 – Cell 2

DNF

Rodrigo Jesus (Portugal)

Row 88 – Cell 2

DNF

Juan Esteban Sanchez (Colombia)

Row 89 – Cell 2

DNF

Abdelkader Bechelaghem (Algeria)

Row 90 – Cell 2

DNF

Alwin Beyer (Germany)

Row 91 – Cell 2

DNF

Kashus Adamski (United States)

Row 92 – Cell 2

DNF

Murat Kuitenov (Kazakhstan)

Row 93 – Cell 2

DNF

Luan Elsasser (Germany)

Row 94 – Cell 2

DNF

Hubert Blokesz (Poland)

Row 95 – Cell 2

DNF

Carter Deveer (Canada)

Row 96 – Cell 2

DNF

Bruno da Silva (Brazil)

Row 97 – Cell 2

DNF

Hussain Alsafr (Saudi Arabia)

Row 98 – Cell 2

DNF

Luca Martinez (Spain)

Row 99 – Cell 2

DNF

Albert Brouillette (Canada)

Row 100 – Cell 2

DNF

Joseph Vargas (Puerto Rico)

Row 101 – Cell 2

DNF

Alvis Pivors (Latvia)

Row 102 – Cell 2

DNF

Yasu Vervoort (Belgium)

Row 103 – Cell 2

DNF

Jakub Tesařik (Czechia)

Row 104 – Cell 2

DNF

Gijs Winters (Netherlands)

Row 105 – Cell 2

DNF

Gleb Novikov (Kazakhstan)

Row 106 – Cell 2

DNF

Chung Ming Yau (Hong Kong)

Row 107 – Cell 2

DNF

Stepan Bortnik

Row 108 – Cell 2

DNF

Jackson Nkurikiyinka (Rwanda)

Row 109 – Cell 2

DNF

Rafael Campos (Venezuela)

Row 110 – Cell 2

DNF

Amos Scott Bouris (Canada)

Row 111 – Cell 2

DNF

Rohnan Nicholson (Zimbabwe)

Row 112 – Cell 2

DNF

Daniel Kuběna (Czechia)

Row 113 – Cell 2

DNF

Ido Dagan (Israel)

Row 114 – Cell 2

DNF

Ege Erulku (Turkey)

Row 115 – Cell 2

DNF

Saif Thani Al Ali (United Arab Emirates)

Row 116 – Cell 2

DNF

Eric Sinfreu Leal (Andorra)

Row 117 – Cell 2

DNF

Brian Ishimwe (Rwanda)

Row 118 – Cell 2

DNF

Jaime Carreno (Chile)

Row 119 – Cell 2

DNF

Dave Cichy (Luxembourg)

Row 120 – Cell 2

DNF

Sylvan Garrelts (United States)

Row 121 – Cell 2

DNF

Jose Manuel Posada (Colombia)

Row 122 – Cell 2

DNF

Jamie Henderson (New Zealand)

Row 123 – Cell 2

DNF

John Fernandez (Dominican Republic)

Row 124 – Cell 2

DNF

Yoav Lewin (Israel)

Row 125 – Cell 2

DNF

Adrian Solis (Nicaragua)

Row 126 – Cell 2

DNF

Gokturk Yuzerler (Turkey)

Row 127 – Cell 2

DNF

Jonathan Muhawenimana (Rwanda)

Row 128 – Cell 2

DNF

Ryan Thompson (Cayman Islands)

Row 129 – Cell 2

DNF

Abdul Rahman Al Rahbi (Oman)

Row 130 – Cell 2

DNF

Jose Castro (Panama)

Row 131 – Cell 2

DNF

Saleh Al Zayid (Saudi Arabia)

Row 132 – Cell 2

DNF

Mikołaj Legieć (Poland)

Row 133 – Cell 2

DNF

Igor Mitoraj (Poland)

Row 134 – Cell 2

DNF

Andersson Ajpacaja (Guatemala)

Row 135 – Cell 2

DNF

Maximilien Outlet (Luxembourg)

Row 136 – Cell 2

DNF

Aparicio Caraballo (Uruguay)

Row 137 – Cell 2

DNF

Rian McCrystal (Ireland)

Row 138 – Cell 2

DNF

Saifallah Ali Alsayed (Egypt)

Row 139 – Cell 2

DNF

Devyn Major (Belize)

Row 140 – Cell 2

DNF

Keith Enwright Jr (Belize)

Row 141 – Cell 2

DNF

Imrane Serhani (Morocco)

Row 142 – Cell 2

DNF

Benjamin Perez (Chile)

Row 143 – Cell 2

DNF

Obay Mohamed Magdy (Egypt)

Row 144 – Cell 2

DNF

Carlos Alexander Kee-Tui (Zimbabwe)

Row 145 – Cell 2

DNF

Wan Chun Lee (Hong Kong)

Row 146 – Cell 2

DNF

Alexander Dobrescu (Romania)

Row 147 – Cell 2

DNF

Diego Betancourt (Honduras)

Row 148 – Cell 2

DNF

Shneider Destin (Haiti)

Row 149 – Cell 2

DNF

Renelson Mazana (Haiti)

Row 150 – Cell 2

DNF

Diego de Noronha (Zimbabwe)

Row 151 – Cell 2

DNF

Matisse Bonnet (France)

Row 152 – Cell 2

DNF

Juliano Ndriamanampy (Mauritius)

Row 153 – Cell 2

DNF

Matias Adrian Strong (Bolivia)

Row 154 – Cell 2

DNF

Ismail El Bouallioui (Morocco)

Row 155 – Cell 2

DNS

Sultan Alhammadi (United Arab Emirates)

Row 156 – Cell 2