Paul Herygers apologises to vegan Cameron Mason after "If only he had eaten a piece of meat" comment

British national champion Cameron Mason has quickly been making a name for himself in the world of cyclocross this season. Recently however, Sporza commentator Paul Herygers after a comment he made in reference to Mason's vegan lifestyle.

"If only he had eaten a piece of meat. Then it might have reached a little further. But if you're vegan, there isn't much left. Just some birdseed," the 61-year-old Belgian said of Mason whilst commentating on the November 12th UCI World Cup in Dendermonde as the Brit faded slightly to finish in 11th.

Since that, Herygers has received much criticism online as viewers believed it was a dig at Mason's vegan lifestyle. ''I do regret it. Ultimately, I should have known," the Sporza analyst admits in a statement. "I think my former masseur was the cause. He always ate that birdseed and was so strong with it. That's how I thought of him. Anyway, respect and my apologies for what I said!"

Finishing on the podium at the European Championships and taking podium finishes in X20 Trofee and Superprestige races recently, Mason has gone from strength to strength this season and has marked himself as one of the best upcoming talents in the discipline.