Buczkowski junior world Track cycling champion

LIMBERG, Belguim - Eve Buczkowski is a junior world champion.

The rider from Talbotville won the women's points race at the world junior track cycling championships Saturday at the Sport Vlaanderen Zolder velodrome.

"I was honestly going for a podium. I thought people were cheering because I podiumed and on my second lap by on the cool down, I realized I actually won and screamed the biggest scream I've ever screamed, Buczkowski said. "It was insane and I still can't wrap my head around it."

Coaches were high fiving and teammate Sandrine Veilleux was the first to give a congratulatory hug.

"During the race I felt alright. Not the best I've felt, but I felt strong still," Buczkowski said. "I lapped the field with a Swedish girl just before halfway. I was a bit fried after that and just gave it my all for the final sprint and that's when I scored the win."

On the podium wearing the winner's rainbow jersey, the 18-year old was overcome with emotion.

"I was crying and laughing. I just couldn't believe it," Buczkowski said. "I knew I had a good chance, but a win was a shock for me."

Earlier at the championships, August 20-23, Buczkowski and Alex Fangeat from St. Thomas, helped Canada's junior women's pursuit team set a National record while placing fourth.

Next month, Buczkowski, a Central Elgin Collegiate graduate, heads to Laurier University in Waterloo to study Kinesiology.

A points race is a long-distance, mass-start endurance event where riders compete to win intermediate sprints and lap the main field. The rider who accumulates the highest total points score by the end of the race wins. The race for women is 25 kilometres.