Netcompany-INEOS's young signing has dominated European and World Championships: Noval hailed as 'new Seixas'

Seixas already showed extraordinary promise in 2025, his first professional year, including a third place at the European Championships. A year on, he has gone to another level entirely. Multiple dominant victories — including the Waalse Pijl — were capped off with a head-to-head against Tadej Pogačar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

He had to settle for second place there, but that result tells its own story. Everyone is talking about Seixas, a talent that comes along only very rarely. But in Spain, all eyes are on Benjamín Noval — just 17 years old, yet already doing things that make people stop and stare.

Earlier in the year, the young Spaniard took part in the Vuelta a la Montaña Central de Asturias, a prestigious junior race in Spain. He left the field in his wake — and how. He won on the Alto de Polio, a 5.5-kilometre beast averaging close to 10 per cent.

In an individual time trial of 20.3 kilometres at the World Time Trial Championships in Montréal, he ultimately finished 6 seconds ahead of the Belgian Vic De Smet (also 17 years old). He also won the World Road Race in a dominant fashion. With 20 kilometers to go, Noval had a half-minute lead over the French duo of Gayant and Defrance.

Noval couldn't back up these stellar performances with a European Road Race win, Norwegian Elias Dybing skilfully took the gold. The young Spaniard didn't come away from Slovenia empty handed, as he was able to win the time trial title, by 0.04 seconds.

In the Vuelta a la Montaña Central de Asturias, the Spaniard won on the Alto de Polio, a 5.5-kilometre beast averaging close to 10 per cent. According to Marca, the numbers Noval produced here are in a different league entirely.

He completed the climb in 17 minutes and 26 seconds, averaging 19 kilometres per hour. The Spanish newspaper reports that the teenager put out 6.67 watts per kilogram, with a VAM of 1,865. Incredible figures — particularly when you factor in Noval's age.

He waited until three kilometres from the summit before accelerating away, winning the stage alone. The gap at the top was a full 1 minute and 39 seconds to the rider in second. One thing is certain: we are going to be hearing a lot more about him.

Netcompany-INEOS were quick off the mark. Noval — son of Benjamín Noval Sr., former domestique to, among others, Alberto Contador — will make his WorldTour debut next year for the British team. He turns eighteen in October this year, meaning he will be among the youngest debutants in the sport's history.