At the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, Spain’s 17-year-old prodigy Benjamín Noval clinched the junior men’s time trial title, completing the 20.3-kilometer course in 25 minutes, 17.35 seconds. He edged out Belgium’s Vic de Smet by 6.35 seconds and Denmark’s Malthe Risbjerg by 16.97 seconds. (elpais.com)
Noval’s victory was a culmination of a season focused on time trialing, a discipline he had emphasized throughout the year. Prior to the championship, he acknowledged his chances, stating, “I don’t think I’m the top favourite, but I do know I have chances.” (cyclinguptodate.com)
On the women’s side, Poland’s 18-year-old Maria Okrucińska dominated the junior women’s time trial, finishing the 10.7-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 17.51 seconds. She secured the gold medal with a 12.25-second lead over Belgium’s Yana Decruyenaere and a 24.69-second advantage over Great Britain’s Aalia Clay. (cyclinguptodate.com)
Okrucińska’s performance was a testament to her preparation and determination. Reflecting on her journey, she mentioned, “I had very good legs, and my preparation went excellently. In the race, I also took all the corners well, and now I’m world champion!” (cyclingnews.com)
Both Noval and Okrucińska’s triumphs not only highlight their individual talents but also underscore the rising prominence of Spanish and Polish cycling on the world stage. Their achievements at the 2026 World Championships in Montreal are poised to inspire the next generation of cyclists in their respective countries.
Highlights:
- Remco Evenepoel crushes World Championships elite men’s time trial in Montréal to win his fourth consecutive title, Published on Sunday, September 20
- Brandon McNulty misses Worlds medal by 12 seconds, turns to road race with ‘best team’ US has had, Published on Sunday, September 20
- ‘If we do everything perfect, we have a good shot at a medal’ – Brandon McNulty falls one spot short of TT medal at Road Worlds but says US has numbers for road race, Published on Monday, September 21