After the time trials, Thursday saw the 2026 UCI Road World Championships shift focus to the road races, with two rainbow jerseys at stake in the Women Under 23 and the Men Junior events.
After a thrilling duel with Canada’s Isabella Holmgren, Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová took the first road-race gold medal awarded on the Mont-Royal circuit. Belgium’s Fleur Moors completed the top three of the Women Under 23 race.
Then, Spain’s Benjamin Noval achieved a historic performance as he became only the second rider after Remco Evenepoel (BEL) to win the UCI Men Junior World Champion titles in both the road race and the individual time trial at the same UCI Road World Championships.
Chladoňová seizes her rainbow
The Women Under 23 road race brought together 113 riders representing 41 nations. In the second of 10 laps on the Mont-Royal circuit – total distance 134km – Finland’s Wilma Aintila launched the first breakaway. She was joined at the front by Slovakia’s Sofia Ungerová and then Czechia’s Eliška Kvasničková, but the peloton controlled the gap to under two minutes. Canadian and Australian riders were among the driving forces in the bunch, with Felicity Wilson-Haffenden proving particularly active three days after her victory in the Women Under 23 ITT.
Following a series of counter-attacks that significantly decreased the size of the bunch, the early attackers were caught as Ava Holmgren upped the pace on the eighth ascent of the Voie Camillien-Houde (1.67km at 7.4%, with a maximum gradient of 10%). Then, it was up to her twin sister, Isabella, to chase the rainbow jersey on home roads. Fleur Moors and Viktória Chladoňová came across with her until the Belgian was dropped 12km from the finish. Holmgren attempted twice more to go solo but Chladoňová remained vigilant.
“I really tried to follow her and then outsprint her, but it was such a long sprint, so I was super happy that I could do it,” the Slovak 19-year-old said. “I still can’t believe it. It means a lot to me. I wanted this so much. The last two months, I trained so hard for it. We did an amazing job with Isabella and Fleur, and I could finish it with a good sprint, so I’m very happy.”
A versatile athlete, Chladoňová triumphs a year after finishing second in the Women Under 23 road race and individual time trial. She also won medals in the Women Junior ITT (second) and road race (third) in 2024, in addition to several medals in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. She also knows the rainbow jersey from her UCI Junior Mountain Bike Cross-country World Champion title in 2024.
Noval flies solo
The 157 riders (64 nations) in the Men Junior peloton also faced 10 laps of the Mont-Royal circuit. The race opened up early, as Lancelot Gayant showed intent to race aggressively. The French man found an opening with Norway’s Sindre Orholm-Lønseth and Belgium’s Sander Willems, and led the way from the third lap, while the bunch exploded with a flurry of attacks on the sixth lap.
Benjamin Noval closed the gap along with France’s Simon Defrance when they entered the final 30 kilometres. The Spaniard then attacked as he crossed the line and headed for the penultimate climb of the Voie Camillien-Houde, eventually covering the last 26.8km on his own. A French duo emerged in pursuit, with Defrance and Gayant joining forces behind Noval. Defrance secured the silver medal (+42’’) and Sweden’s Elias Wendel came from behind to finish third (+2’12’’).
Two days after winning the ITT, Noval emulated Remco Evenepoel, who achieved the same double in Innsbruck (2018). The Belgian went on to win five UCI Elite World Champion titles (four in the ITT, one in the road race). Noval is set to debut among the professionals with Netcompany Ineos next season.