By Brecht Decaluwé and Gregor Brown in Treviso
"This is a dream come true. It was my last chance on the title in this category and I didn't want to blow it," Jouffroy said. He enjoyed a small lead over the chasing duo when going into the last lap, but the dream almost shattered into pieces when the 17 year-old hit a barrier with his knee halfway through the last lap. Peter Sagan (Slovakia) and Lubomir Petrus (Czech Republic) were able to come back but stayed on Jouffroy's wheel.
Article continues below"I felt a lot of pain, but in my head I had forgotten it and then gave all I had," the new junior world champion explained.
Despite being a junior rider, Jouffroy is hoping for a career among the big guns. "I have no idols – maybe Niels Albert – but I hope to become a professional rider eventually," the newly crowned world champion said. "Next year I will step up a level as I become an U23 rider and I hope I will be selected for all the World Cup races and the World Championships. I hope that I can continue my improvement – technically, I improved a lot this year. I will keep focusing on cyclo-cross – it's my passion.
Continue to the full results, report and photos from the Junior men's race.
