"Mathieu and Wout coming back is also a factor" - British champion Cameron Mason looks to make the most before 'big 2' return to cyclocross
Cyclocross
Cameron Mason has started off the cyclocross season strongly and before Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel make their return, he still has a few opportunities to hit big. The Briton has been close, but a resurgence and a new training strategy over the summer might trigger his best level.
"Mathieu and Wout coming back is also a factor… they'll probably be back racing in December," Mason said in words to CyclingWeekly. "Even without them the depth of the elite riders is pretty apparent this year [but] I don't have any doubts that I can be there on the right day."
Van Aert is set to be at Visma's training camp in Spain from the 8th to 20th of December whilst Mathieu van der Poel, albeit unclear at this point, should also be in the Costa Blanca - where he lives - until the Christmas period. It seems quite certain both will make a return in around a certain month. This leaves the Tabor, Flamanville, Terralba and Namur World Cups at the very least for the purists such as Mason; whilst the Superprestige and X2O Badkamers Trofee, each, will not have any race until the block now.
And Mason is going to be in the mix. He's finished second on the Koppenbergcross and Hamme races, both counting for the X2O Trofee in which he is currently second in the standings. Furthermore he has finished in the Top5 of three other races including the Middelkerke European Championships. "There's a good 10 or 15 of us who can podium, race-in, race-out. And that depth is what's making things so interesting," the Briton believes.
Weight gain makes for a 'new' Mason
Mason's performance at the Europeans was a positive surprise for a rider who usually struggled in the sand. But that is not so surprising upon the reveal that he has worked on gaining muscle and weight since the previous season, and is not as much of a climber solely anymore. "Since March, I've gained five kilos – I went from being 62kg to 67kg,. And my power values in every time frame have increased massively."
This might be what is making the difference for the 25-year old, who attempted a different strategy in 2024 that did not end up paying off: "I think I probably stalled a little bit last year. I trained like a road rider, with the assumption that being a good road rider would make me a good cross rider. It just didn't work."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
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