Benja Noval, the son of a former cyclist who worked with top riders like Armstrong, was a strong contender for the Junior Cyclocross World Cup held in France. His coach, Javier Ruíz de Larrinaga, believed that if everything went well, Noval could win, but he also acknowledged that a single mistake or incident could ruin his chances. Noval had a great season and wanted to finish it with a strong performance in France, aiming for a medal or even a championship title.
Before the event, Noval’s coach expressed cautious optimism, saying that if Noval performed well, he could win, but the nature of the discipline meant that an error or incident could significantly impact his chances. Noval was determined to end his season on a high note, and his coach’s words reflected the challenges and uncertainties of the sport. Meanwhile, another Spanish cyclist, Iván Romeo, who had recently won a gold medal in the Under-23 category at the World Cup in Switzerland, joked about being the only world champion from his team, adding some humor to the pre-event atmosphere.
The race began with Noval starting strong, and at one point, he was even leading the test. However, a fall caused him to lose some positions. After the first four laps, Noval was in second place, behind the favorite, Brunete. As the race progressed, Noval found himself in a challenging position, but he was still in contention for a medal.
In the final lap, Noval was fourth, just a few seconds behind the leaders, and the fight for a medal seemed within reach. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as he finished just one second behind the Italian rider who took the bronze medal. Despite coming close to a medal, Noval’s performance was impressive, and he demonstrated his potential for future success in the sport.