The cyclist from Alicante won the bronze medal in the Under-23 individual time trial at the 2026 World Championships in Montreal, finishing just 11.88 seconds behind the rainbow jersey.
Héctor Álvarez has once again made it onto an international podium. The 19-year-old cyclist won the bronze medal in the U-23 individual time trial at the Road World Cycling Championships, held in Montreal, Canada. This result also marked the first medal for the Spanish national team at these World Championships.
The 31.3-kilometer course took the runners along a fast and technical route through the streets of Montreal, featuring 37 turns and a challenging final uphill stretch before reaching the finish line at Parc Jeanne-Mance.
Just seconds away from the rainbow jersey
Álvarez rode an outstanding time trial from the very first kilometers. The Spaniard posted the fastest time at the first two intermediate checkpoints, even pulling ahead of all his rivals in the race for the world title.
The final stretch of the race ultimately decided the championship. Dutch rider Ryan Gal paced himself better in the final kilometers and was crowned world champion with a time of 37:26.16. Italy’s Nicolas Milesi finished second, seven seconds behind, while Héctor Álvarez rounded out the podium with a time of just under 37:38, only 11.88 seconds behind the gold medalist.
The result also has historical significance: according to Cyclingnews, this is Spain’s first medal in the men’s U-23 time trial at a World Championship.
A journey that continues to grow
Born in Benidorm and raised in l’Alfàs del Pi, Héctor Álvarez continues to prove himself as one of the most promising young riders in Spanish cycling. By 2025, he had already won the bronze medal at the U23 European Road Championships, and throughout 2026 he has continued to deliver standout performances with Lidl-Trek Future Racing.
His performance in Montreal also comes during a particularly important season in his athletic career: he is scheduled to make the jump to the Lidl-Trek WorldTour team in 2027.
But the World Championships aren’t over for him yet. This Friday, September 25, he will once again represent Spain in the Under-23 road race, which covers 174.2 kilometers and 3,497 meters of elevation gain spread over 13 laps of the Mont-Royal circuit.
At RALI Bikes, we’re celebrating another triumph for Spanish cycling and for a generation of young riders who continue to prove their caliber at major international events.
Congratulations, Héctor. A bronze medal at the World Championships and another step forward in a career that just keeps getting better.