CYCLOCROSS
Linlithgow’s Cameron Mason followed up last month’s British Championship win with a stunning top-10 performance at his debut UCI World Cyclo-Cross Championships in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands
The 22-year-old rode brilliantly to pick up ninth place for the former West Lothian Clarion rider - making him just the second Brit to grab a top-10 berth in the last 31 years.
Mason, who finished fifth in the under-23 event last year, was making the step up to Elite senior level and admitted he was targeting a top-10 spot when he spoke to the Courier last month.
The newly crowned British champ was up against it from the start having been gridded further back than his main rivals but a determined effort saw him claw positions back and firmly entrench himself in the pack chasing the top-10, eventually crossing the line in ninth place.
Speaking to Scottish Cycling after the event, a delighted Mason said: “It’s exactly what I came here for, but there are so many things between wanting to get a top-10 and actually doing it.
“I executed it as well as I could, with what I had – when I got to the front a lot of the moves had already gone, so tactically it put us British riders in quite a hard situation when the Belgian and Dutch riders were already up the road.
“I’m super happy with my performance. It was super-fast, but I’m showing I can perform on pretty much any course now, which is what you need as a top rider, so it gives me a lot of confidence.”
He added: “I’ll take a bit of time off now, but then the MTB season is a big goal, with a home Worlds down the road in Peebles, and then gearing up for another big cross season.”
RUGBY
Linlithgow Reds ran in 12 tries as they trounced Portobello 78-5 at Mains Park to keep hold of second place in the East
Region League Division One table.
The early exchanges were keenly contested but as soon as the hosts got the scoring up and running the tries came thick and fast.
The first try came after a typical Ross Plenderleith thrust through the middle of the visitors’ defence and as he was tackled, he managed a neat offload to Cammy Murrie who got the scoring underway.
The next arrived after neat play between Ross Martin and Kyle Ormond led to the former delivering a final pass for Ruaridh Stewart who rounded his man to score out wide.
The Reds went the length of the field for try no.3 as they opened up a 19-0 advantage.
The ball was moved wide quickly with Freddie Adcock making the breakthrough before finding Stewart on his outside who in turn teed up full-back Ross Tulloch for a tremendous team try.
Stewart was instrumental again in the fourth try with his chip being gathered and touched down by Adcock before the Reds nabbed a further two scores as they went into the break with the points firmly in the bag at 38-0 in front.
Both were well-worked scores that saw several players get their hands on
the ball before firstly Tulloch and then Stewart both scored their second tries of the contest.
The second-half followed the same pattern of play with the hosts simply too strong for their opponents as they added a further six tries after the interval - although to their credit Portobello were able to score one in reply and attempted to play free-flowing rugby whenever they were in possession.
Adcock scored the opening try of the half as he was the beneficiary of an unselfish pass from Stuart Cunningham before the visitors got on the board as they turned an intercepted lineout into their only try of the contest.
That certainly didn’t signal a change in momentum with the Reds responding in style as Stewart quickly made it three and then four tries on the day.
He collected a pass from Gregor McLean to complete his hat-trick before scoring in the corner following a quicktap penalty.
A lung-bursting run from Cunningham was then stopped agonisingly short of the line but he was able to find Eioan Magee who was rewarded for his supporting run as he took the try count to double figures.
Tulloch thought he had joined Stewart in the hat-trick club as he pounced on a Frame chip ahead to touch down - only for it to be ruled out as the referee had already blown seconds earlier for a penalty try.
The game’s final score arrived thanks to a wonderful cross-kick from McLean which was fielded by Stewart.
He made up ground down the right flank before the ball was eventually fed to Euan Mochrie to stroll over the line and complete a resounding victory.
It was a weekend double for West Lothian’s senior men’s sides as Livingston made it two wins from two since the return from the winter break with a commanding 43-17 home win over Hawick Linden.
The victory sees the Almond Park side jump into fourth place in the East Region League Division Two table.
Neither side are in action this weekend with Scotland hosting Wales in the Six Nations at Murrayfield.
Both return on February 18 when Linlithgow travel to Haddington and Livingston welcome struggling Dunbar to West Lothian.
PLAYERS WANTED
East Calder CFC 2010s are currently looking for players to be part of their squad, which plays in the West Lothian A League.
For more information, contact Keith Murdoch on 07917801897 for drop them a message on Facebook at www.facebook. com/EastCalderCFC.