Cameron Mason stuns in debut for Cyclocross Reds: "I want to continue to develop as a rider"

Cameron Mason made his debut this winter in the Belgian crosses this Sunday at the Overijse Druivencross and he immediately impressed. Just behind the four riders who battled for the win, the new Cyclocross Reds rider looked very good in his first outing.

“It's great to be able to do this for a Belgian team. I know that I can participate in cross-country races such as Overijse, Baal and Koppenberg for top results. But I am ambitious: I want to continue to develop as a rider," Mason told Wielerflits at the end of the Overijse Druivencross. It was the perfect debut for the Cyclocross Reds: “It happened very quickly. The other Belgian teams were also keen to recruit me, but the combination of the different disciplines they use here was a huge asset. I wanted to go to the team that could offer me the best support and had a vision. It is very clear that I have now come to the right place. The guidance, experience and material: so far everything has far exceeded my expectations.”

The British Champion has shown great signs in past seasons of his great potential, and he started off 2023-2024 on the right foot. Whilst not having a very fast start, he quickly adapted to the technical and explosive circuit in Overijse, pacing himself into a fifth place at the finish line - directly ahead of Gerben Kuypers, Kevin Kuhn and Laurens Sweeck.

He argues however that he still has room to improve in the short-term. "My punch is also not yet what it should be, especially on fast and technical courses," he admits. "Here I want to build the next five percent in my growth. But I hope – in addition to cross-country racing, which remains my main focus – to deepen the combination of road cycling and gravel with this team. The Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team offers the ideal opportunity for this on the road.”

However for the time being, the cyclocross season is in full steam and he will look for opportunities to perform. “The British and European Championships, like the World Championships, are high on the list of competitions where I want to be good," the 23-year old tells. "The World Cups and some heavier Belgian crosses are the smaller goals in between.”