Euan Mason joins the Zappi U-23 development team for races in Italy

Euan Mason will be cycling competitively overseas next year.

A promising young cyclist, who finishes his schooling at Paraparaumu College next month, has signed with a developmental Italian team called Zappi.

Zappi offered Euan Mason, 17, the chance to compete in 60 races around Italy between February and October next year.

Twenty-five of the races are UCI (world governing body) races.

He will be based in the Zappi Cycling Hotel in Riolo Terme, near Imola, which is famous for its annual Formula 1 race.

“It looks like a really nice place and I’m thoroughly looking forward to it.”

Mason applied to Zappi about eight months ago “out of curiosity”, and found out recently he had made the team via an email.

“I was gobsmacked, to be honest, but extremely happy.”

He will be among 17 riders from around the world in the U-23 race development team which Italian ex-professional Flavio Zappi mentors.

Euan Mason will be part of the Zappi U-23 cycling team.

The team gives young riders coaching support and a race calendar to discover their potential.

“It’s a massive step up and an amazing opportunity.”

Mason has been competing in national secondary school road racing in the last few years and was getting ready to compete in the U-23 category next year.

He’s had his fair share of success since taking up competitive cycling about three and a half years ago, and has been regularly among the top 10 riders at various races.

His latest win, and first jersey triumph, was claiming the ‘king of the mountain’ classification at the Central Hawke’s Bay junior tour, which was in round three of the national road series.

“I was really stoked about that.”

Mason’s interest in cycling stemmed from participating in the Karapoti Classic mountain bike race after being encouraged by his uncle Andrew Lowe.

After that, he became “hooked” and quickly got into road cycling and doing extensive training, including cycling, running and gym work.

Promising young cyclist Euan Mason. Photo / David Haxton

In the last year, he joined the Cycling Tom Devo team and then the Fitlab team.

In a recent Kāpiti News interview, Mason said his goal for the short-term was to get into a U-23 team, either New Zealand Elite or Pro Continential, and “take the sport as far as I can”.

He finishes college at the end of October and will then take part in a composite team in the Tour of Southland after relinquishing his junior licence with Continental, which will be his “first big league race”.

Then, the main focus will be ramping up his training so he’s in tip-top shape when he arrives in Italy.

There are a few nerves, especially as he will be leaving his family for a long time, and although he will be looked after well by his new team, he will have to fend for himself a bit.

He will be engaging in various forms of fundraising and has launched a Givelittle page so he has money on-hand for various expenses.