Cameron Mason (Seven Racing) battled slippery and windy conditions to secure a fourth consecutive victory in the elite men’s division at British Cyclo-cross National Championships.
Toby Barnes (Spectra Racing) rode solo in the chase for the silver medal, and 21-year-old Ben Askey (CC Etupes) finished with the bronze, one spot better than last year.
How it unfolded
Cold temperatures and thawing mud persisted on Sunday in South Shields for the British Cyclo-cross National Championships, with the 2.8-kilometre track adjacent to the North Sea becoming slippery.
On the first lap 18-year-old Oscar Amey (Tekkerz CC) set the pace at the front, with the field strung out in a hectic tempo. Cameron Mason (Seven Racing) moved from fourth position and took the lead with a powerful pass on a small uphill, Oscar Amey and Toby Barnes (Spectra Racing) the only two to follow. Only a few minutes later, Oscar Amey dropped a chain and fell off the lead group.
Mason grabbed a new bike in the pits for lap two, no technical issues with the bike just a new ride with adjusted tyre pressure. The three-time elite men’s ‘cross champion set the pace with only Toby Barnes nearby. Meins had worked his way into the chase group of Ben Askey.
Toby Barnes then took control at the front with the red jersey of Mason looking to fight to hold his wheel near the end of lap two, with a bike change for Barnes allowing Mason to go back to the front.
With four to go, Mason opened a gap to Toby Barnes and pushed away with a 10-second advantage. Ben Askey rolled through the start-finish in lone third, with a substantial margin to any riders behind.
On the next circuit, Mason’s back wheel slid out slightly on a few…
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