Mason Hollyman hoping to put British Championships experience to good use with Israel Premier Tech

Mason Hollyman spent his 23rd birthday powering up Saltburn Bank and then getting saturated by the heavy downpours that punctuated the elite men’s race at the British Road Championships on Sunday.
Nick Westby
By Nick Westby
Published 26th Jun 2023, 11:45 BST
Updated 26th Jun 2023, 11:53 BST

When his back finally gave in he withdrew along with 130 of the 150 starters who were unable to get to the finish line of a gruelling national road race.

But after months out battling health problems, Hollyman was one of the more happier riders, having animated the race with a spell on the front early on in what was his first competitive ride since April’s Tour de Romandie. It sets the Israel Premier Tech rider up nicely for the remainder of the season.

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“This year hasn’t gone to plan so far but we’ve still got a few months to turn it around,” said the Leeds cyclist who had a win in each of his two years with the Israeli team’s academy squad.

Education: Mason Hollyman, right, is learning plenty from the like of MNichael Woods, left, at Israel Premier Tech (Picture: Simon Wilkinson/SWPix.com)Education: Mason Hollyman, right, is learning plenty from the like of MNichael Woods, left, at Israel Premier Tech (Picture: Simon Wilkinson/SWPix.com)
Education: Mason Hollyman, right, is learning plenty from the like of MNichael Woods, left, at Israel Premier Tech (Picture: Simon Wilkinson/SWPix.com)

“Minus the back I think we’re definitely heading in the right direction. I was just happy to be back on the startline.

“I’ll have a few days rest then straight to an altitude camp for some proper training and then hopefully that sets me up nicely for the Tour de Wallonie five-day race or something like San Sebastian.

“I’ll be looking at Tour of Britain again in September and there’s a few one-dayers in Italy as well to come in the autumn.”

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Hollyman is in the first year of a two-year deal with the senior team at Israel Premier Tech, learning from the likes of Chris Froome.

Fred Wright, Bahrain Victorious, at the top of Saltburn Bank as he heads to victory in the British road race championships (Picture: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)Fred Wright, Bahrain Victorious, at the top of Saltburn Bank as he heads to victory in the British road race championships (Picture: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Fred Wright, Bahrain Victorious, at the top of Saltburn Bank as he heads to victory in the British road race championships (Picture: Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“I’ve had a good time with the team, I’ve got a lot of experienced guys to look up to in Chris Froome and Michael Woods,” Hollyman told The Yorkshire Post. “There’s a lot of young guys as well so it’s a super nice environment to be part of.”

Like many riders, Hollyman moved to the continent to have better access to warm-weather training. As much as leaving Leeds behind was a wrench, his new life in Girona, Spain, is all about cycling, which can have its ups and downs.

“Living in Girona is a weird one for that because you’re always with riders,” he said. “Sometimes it’s difficult when everyone is training and you can’t do as much as they can, but equally it motivates you to get back quicker.”

Related topics:IsraelLeedsItaly