Cameron Mason is hoping for a closing peak of winter kind and one other spectacular outcome on the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Tabor. A medal or high 5 would affirm the 23-year-old Scot as a fully-fledged Belgian-based skilled cross rider.
Within the final 4 months, Mason has proved he’s a part of the following technology of cyclocross racers rising on the highest stage alongside Thibau Nys and Pim Ronhaar. He watched on with admiration as Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock raced the Kerstperiode Christmas races however battled with Eli Iserbyt, Michael Vanthourenhout, Lars van der Haar and Joris Nieuwenhuis each week.
Van der Poel is the stand-out favorite to win the world title in Sunday’s elite males’s race however Mason has earned a spot amongst the choose group of medal contenders. He will even trip for Nice Britain in Friday’s Staff Relay occasion.
“The purpose has all the time been the Worlds,” he tells Cyclingnews throughout an unique interview earlier than travelling to Tabor.
“I am fairly drained and feeling the results of all of the racing however I’ve received to belief within the course of. I do know that I simply want a number of days of restoration to get the freshness again and I will be prepared for Sunday.”
“I might prefer to put myself on that stage with these 5 – 6 different guys. That is lots of people in a battle for the medals however that was the case on the European Championships and the opposite huge race,” Mason says, not directly highlighting how he gained the silver medal in France in November and so turned the primary non-Dutch or Belgian elite male rider to medal within the UEC European Cyclocross Championships.
“There’s all these guys who’ve the potential to trip for the win and to trip for podiums. Then within the race issues turn out to be easy, so I’ll simply focus by myself race and see what occurs.”
Mason has the outcomes to justify that declare and the respect of his fellow riders after dwelling in Belgium for the cyclocross season and racing for the Cyclocross Reds group.
A significant victory in Europe has escaped him however he has seven top-five outcomes that embrace second within the Superprestige Growth race. Excessive-speed begins have typically been a weak spot and compelled him to chase by the pack however his energy and method are world class.
Mason first turned a number of heads at elite stage final winter, ending his marketing campaign with ninth on the World Championships.
He then raced for Trinity Racing final summer time, with a deal with mountain biking and gravel racing however jumped on the likelihood to signal for the Cyclocross Reds group managed by the Roodhooft brothers and moved to Belgium for the winter.
Homesickness shouldn’t be a problem as he focuses on his profession, together with his Belgian soigneur offering important assist, peace of thoughts and friendship. Mason has by no means had the assist of British Biking aside from main championships and doesn’t seem to want it. Former Scottish professional racer James McCallum is his coach and mentor, offering the science and recommendation as he races from his base in Growth close to Antwerp.
“It simply seems like such a privilege to have the ability to race so near my very own mattress, to come back again to my new condo, really feel at house and swap off,” Mason explains.
“I am studying easy methods to separate the racing from being me. I would like to have the ability to depart it on the racecourse and switch the web page and revel in life even throughout the season.
An intense winter cyclocross marketing campaign
This winter Mason has competed in 27 cyclocross races and plans 4 extra after the World Championships. He’ll take a break and revel in a well-deserved low season in March, with plans for some snowboarding and a street journey at house with associates in Scotland.
The final 4 months of racing have been a steep and sometimes testing studying curve however vastly profitable and satisfying in so some ways. His common YouTube channel has taken a again seat to the calls for of his fixed racing.
“I’ve uncovered myself to a full season of cyclocross and I’ve realised that comes the low and the highs,” Mason explains.
“Each time you begin a race you’ll be able to crash, have a puncture or have an harm however equally, being within the sport each week, you are able to take benefit when you have actually good legs and people are actually good rides. I feel that is what I’ve completed this season.
“The European Championships was an excellent instance of being in the fitting place on the proper time, after which profiting from my very own potential and different individuals’s mishaps.
“This season has been a sort of breakthrough second, realising my potential. Subsequent season can be about figuring out the place I can actually maximise issues and get that further 5 p.c, to make the distinction and win at this stage.
“My low season can be about realising what this ‘cross season meant for me, what was good about it, what was dangerous about it, what can we do in a different way.”
A summer time of street and gravel
Mason’s apparent maturity and outcomes have earned him a spot within the Alpecin-Deceuninck growth group for 2024.
He will even have a possibility to race on the street as a visitor within the Alpecin-Deceuninck WorldTour group as he takes the following step in his profession. Gravel racing can be a part of his summer time relatively than mountain biking, with every thing laying the inspiration for subsequent winter and cyclocross.
The Roodhooft brothers take a practical strategy to managing their groups and riders, which inserts with Mason’s personal strategy to first deal with the cyclocross season earlier than excited about his street and gravel plans.
“I need to profit from the chance however I do not know my particular calendar but. I have not even had that dialog with the group,” he reveals.
“They’ve an thought of what they need to do for me however it’s not related to me in the meanwhile. I’ll cross that bridge in February and March once I’m again on the bike. After all, I am actually excited for it.
“I do know that any street racing programme goes to be about studying and many onerous work however it must be enjoyable as nicely. With the upper stage I’ve now introduced all my biking, it must be fairly manageable. It would not scare me.
“Canyon are actually eager for me to do gravel racing too. I feel I can trip for podiums and wins in among the huge occasions, so gravel can be my off-road enjoyable in the summertime as I develop on the street.
“Changing into profitable on the street may take years or I may instantly begin doing nicely. Till we get going I do not know but.”
His 2024 street racing programme can be explorative and extra about understanding his long-term future.
Mason attended the Alpecin-Deceuninck coaching camp in December in Spain and can be absolutely supported by the event group.
“I need to optimise the method on the street as a result of I feel there’s nonetheless a number of headroom there and many progress to be made. I feel it is fairly easy: simply get caught into all of it and see how issues change,” he says.
Mason has noticed how Tom Pidcock has developed his profession and is now targeted extra on street racing with Ineos Grenadiers. He has additionally witnessed close-up how Wout Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have mixed WorldTour street racing with a restricted cross marketing campaign.
Mason may ultimately comply with them however first, he needs to completely discover his cyclocross potential.
“It is pure that I give cyclocross a extremely good shot, as I am doing so nicely and I’ve the physique for it,” he says.
“I desire a summer time that is going to assist my ‘cross season. This yr I’ve raced the cross season off the again of an up and down mountain bike and gravel calendar. I solely had three weeks of coaching for Gravel Worlds and the cyclocross season.
“This summer time it is going to be structured and in blocks in order that once we get to August and September, we’re excited about the cyclocross season. Hopefully, there’s nonetheless one other stage of conditioning to come back.
“I’ve received a fairly good thought now of easy methods to carry out nicely in cyclocross each weekend, now it is about getting these peaks on the proper time, and pushing for these huge ends in World Cups and the World Championships. That’s the subsequent stage for me.”
