“The biggest contract in cycling history for a rider of his age”: INEOS tie down Benjamín Noval until 2031

Benjamín Noval has not yet competed in a single race in the WorldTour, but his market value has already changed considerably since the summer of 2025, when Netcompany-INEOS closed a first agreement with the Asturian. Now the team is finalizing an upgrade to his contract that would extend his association until 2031 and, according to published information, would represent an unprecedented financial investment for a cyclist of his age. A bet that comes after a season in which Noval has won two world titles and one European title at just 18 years old.

INEOS wants to secure Noval's future until 2031 with a million-dollar contract

The British team got ahead of many of its competitors when it announced the signing of Benjamín Noval in June 2025. At that time, the rider from Pola de Laviana was only 16 years old and still had a full season in the junior category before joining the WorldTour structure.

That agreement initially contemplated three seasons, from 2027 to 2029, but the results of this year have led the team to review the conditions even before the cyclist has worn his jersey in competition.

The Asturian television RTPA reported on October 19 that Noval had extended his commitment by two years, until the end of 2031, with a significant financial improvement. Subsequently, MARCA published new details of the operation, which is expected to be formalized this week.

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According to this latest information, the new agreement has been described as the largest contract in cycling history for a rider of his age. A statement that reflects the magnitude of INEOS's bet.

His representative, Giuseppe Acquadro, has reportedly negotiated conditions significantly superior to those agreed in 2025. The first contract was valued, according to published information, at an amount close to one million euros for the three seasons. The new operation would significantly raise that figure and extend the relationship to complete five years with the British team.

Three international titles in fifteen days that have changed his valuation

Noval's sporting evolution helps to understand why INEOS is willing to review such an important investment so soon.

The Asturian started September as one of the big favorites at the World Championships in Montreal and ended up becoming the protagonist of the men's junior category.

First he was crowned world champion in time trial beating Belgian Vic De Smet by six seconds. Just 48 hours later, he also won the World Championship in road with a solo attack nearly 27 kilometers from the finish that allowed him to finish 42 seconds ahead of Frenchman Simon Defrance.

With that double victory he matched a feat that had not occurred in the men's junior category since Remco Evenepoel won both events at the World Championships in Innsbruck in 2018.

But his season still had another title in store. On October 7, coinciding with his 18th birthday, Noval was crowned junior European champion in time trial in Slovenia after beating Danish Malthe Risbjerg by just three hundredths of a second.

Three international titles in just fifteen days that add to a campaign in which he has also excelled in stage races such as the Ain Bugey Valromey Tour and in the Spanish Championships.

In addition, Noval is not a rider who has focused all his training exclusively on the road. His career also includes national titles in cyclocross and XCO, a versatility that is part of his sporting profile and that had already attracted the interest of major international structures before his explosion in Montreal.

A star contract, but no rush to make him a leader

The other part of this operation is how INEOS will manage Noval's leap to professionalism. The team is willing to make an extraordinary investment, but that does not mean that it will demand immediate results from him in the major races.

The rider himself has made it clear in his latest interviews that his main goal for 2027 will be to adapt to the WorldTour level, help his teammates, and begin to find his place within the structure.

In a recent interview with MARCA, Noval acknowledged that he is much more concerned about the physical demands of professional races, especially how his body will respond after five hours of competition, than the expectations generated around his figure.

He also stated that the pressure and criticism do not negatively affect him, but rather serve as motivation.

The plan being prepared for his incorporation includes a gradual progression, with time to adapt to distances, rhythms, and efforts very different from those he has faced so far. However, according to published information, INEOS does not rule out modifying that planning if the Asturian's performance allows for an acceleration of his evolution.

This week Noval has begun his new stage with his participation in a first team concentration in Denmark, held from October 19 to 21.