Alejandra Neira captured the junior women’s road race world championship on Friday in Montreal, Canada, outsprinting a small lead group on the demanding Mont-Royal circuit to claim the rainbow jersey. The 18-year-old Spaniard navigated the 80.4-kilometer course, which featured 1,614 meters of total elevation gain, to edge out Italy’s Matilde Rossignoli and Switzerland’s Anja Grossmann in the closing meters.
The Spanish delegation has secured five medals overall, including two golds, positioning the nation as a dominant force across the junior and under-23 categories. Neira succeeds fellow Spaniard Paula Ostiz, who won the junior world title a year earlier in Rwanda.
How the Junior Women’s Road Race Was Won
The race came down to a tactical finale as five riders approached the finish line together on the hilly Quebec circuit. Neira launched her decisive move in the final stretch, out-pacing Rossignoli, who finished second, and Grossmann, who took the bronze medal.
Reflecting on the tense finish immediately after crossing the line, Neira told reporters, “I can’t believe I’m the world champion. It’s incredible.” She acknowledged the tactical challenges of the closing kilometers, noting, “When there were three of us and the other two cyclists caught us, I lost a bit of my confidence because Maria Okrucinska is a very good sprinter. But I tried to stick to her wheel and saw I had enough to pass.”
The gold medal marks Neira’s second result of the week in Montreal. On Tuesday, she finished ninth in the junior individual time trial, crossing 45.80 seconds behind Poland’s Maria Okrucińska, who won that opening event. Neira entered the world championships with high expectations following a spring campaign that included victory in the junior Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Spanish Delegation Continues Medal Haul in Montreal
The success of the Spanish team extended beyond Neira’s victory. On the men’s side, Héctor Álvarez secured the silver medal in the under-23 road race, finishing behind American rider Ashlin Barry. Álvarez had previously earned a bronze medal in the under-23 time trial on Sunday. Meanwhile, Benjamín Noval added to Spain’s gold tally by winning the junior men’s road race on Thursday, just two days after claiming the junior time trial title.
Neira’s progression on the international stage coincides with a major step in her club career. The Santiago de Compostela native was signed by Movistar, debuting with the WorldTour squad in August after competing for the Café Baqué development team. She joins an increasingly formidable Movistar roster for the upcoming season, which also features Paula Blasi.
What Comes Next at the Montreal Championships
Attention now shifts to the elite women’s and men’s events concluding the world championships. Paula Blasi, ranked number two in the world at age 23, was set to contest the elite women’s road race over a challenging 180-kilometer route featuring eight laps of the Montreal circuit. The elite men’s road race will close out the competition on Sunday.
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