Cameron Mason (Seven Racing) is having the best cyclocross season of his career, racing to another promising performance after securing a maiden elite men's podium finish at the World Cup in Flamanville on Sunday.
It wasn't a mishap-free race for the 25-year-old British Champion, who has vowed to make some improvements to his technical performances as he targets the next rounds of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup.
"It's one mistake away from being back in the race, and I'm the guy who's making the mistake," Mason said. "It's quite important to try and fix that and then be better next time."
Despite unclipping from his pedal at the start in Flamanville, Mason came storming back through the field from the top-15 and 12 seconds behind the race leaders.
He got back to the front group in the final third of the race before winner Thibau Nys (Baloise-Glowi Lions) launched his winning attack, but got stuck behind Nys' teammate, Lars van der Haar, as the winning gap widened. He then went alone in search of the leader.
A more experienced Van der Haar had enough left in the tank to beat Mason in the sprint for second place, forcing the British rider to settle for third place, just five seconds behind the winner. Despite securing his first UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup podium in the elite category, Mason said he was more focused on victory.
"I pulled my foot out of the pedal pretty quickly. I moved back up again to where I was going to be anyway. I think I was 15th on the first lap, but that is really far, actually. [The field] was quite in a line on this track, so I struggled. I actually felt rubbish all race, but I did find my rhythm a little bit and was bridging quite big gaps," Mason said.
"The race was already going, and I probably came to within five or six seconds of Thibau, but I was really on my limit, and he was riding his own pace. It's hard to say what would have happened otherwise, because there is also a tactical element, but it is what it is.
"I was going all in. I actually didn't care about losing second or third. I really didn't come here for second or third. I was ready to go all-in for the win."
Last season, Mason recorded a career-best fifth place at the World Cup in Hulst, and he finished in eighth place in Gavere. The year before that, he recorded an eighth in Maasmechelen.
This year, Mason stepped up a level and finished a close runner-up to Nys after a hard-fought battle in the Koppenbergcross and repeated the result in Hamme. He now has a victory at the highest level in his sights.
"The significance of third [at Flamanville] is not lost on me. I know that it's a really big ride still, and obviously my best-ever result. I'm definitely better than this. I'll work out what this means, and then try again at the next one. It's an exciting place to be, but I can't lie, there's more in [me]."
Coming into this year's UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup series, Mason was poised for a breakthrough campaign. However, a mechanical cost Mason dearly at the opening World Cup in Tábor last weekend. Despite his misfortune, he battled back to finish in ninth and just 37 seconds behind Nys.
Nys has now won the opening two World Cup races and is leading the series, but will be absent from next weekend's round in Terralba, Italy, opening the door for a new victor. Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon) is currently second overall in the series after his second place in the opening round was followed by a fifth at Flamanville.
After taking his third televised podium of the season, Mason feels that everything has to go perfectly to take his first win on the biggest stage. "It feels a bit like an elephant in the room, that first big win. But it can happen in any 'cross. [race], everything just has to fall into place," he told Sporza:
"I really want such a big cobblestone as the winner of the Koppenbergcross - a realistic goal, because I've been close a few times. At the European Championships, I already finished second (in 2023). That European star jersey is extremely important."
Mason also feels that this year's UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship course in Hulst suits him. However, he will face tough competition from Nys, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert.
