Cameron Mason: "The Cyclocross World Championships are the most important thing for me right now"

Cameron Mason has been one of the most interesting riders to follow this cyclocross season. The British national champion has had a few standout performances, and still aims high for a few big goals later this season.

"I am very satisfied with my cross season. I'm still learning a lot. Partly for that reason, this season can be seen as a kind of transition season for me. After all, a lot has changed. I went from Trinity rider to rider within one of the largest cyclocross teams," Mason said in an interview with In de Leiderstrui. "Hopefully I can continue to develop myself and achieve great results among the world's top players in the future. I just have to make sure that I get the most out of my abilities in every race. Right now my results are quite inconsistent. I have alternated between very good races and very bad ones. So more consistency in the majority of races is the key for me.”

Mason was second in the Pontchâteau European Championships and in Boom, whilst he finished fourth in the Koppenbergcross. Currently, he also sits third in the X2O Badkamers Trofee, less than two minutes away from leader Lars van der Haar and still in sight of a possible win with only half of the competition's races yet tackled. He has not focused on the World Cup and Superprestige, this added freedom gives him more room to prepare for the upcoming races with more focus. The national championships could be a big one, but he points towards the main competition.

"The Cyclocross World Championships are the most important thing for me right now, although there are also a number of great competitions in between," he admits. "The World Cup competitions in Zonhoven and Hoogerheide, for example. I have already shown great things in the other regularity classifications, but not yet in the World Cup. Achieving a good result there is also a goal."

Asked about the presence of Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock in the field, he concludes: "The difference with the top three is usually a minute or two. I do think that it is a gap that can be bridged and that a second, third or fourth place is often possible. If I can get closer to the absolute best and benefit from their tactics, that would be simply great. If I can be the inconspicuous one in the group in a certain situation, that's cool."