He has an unorthodox habit of blasting out the first kilometre of every single run in a triathlon. And more often than not it does not fully pay off as he is caught. However it is hard to deny that Jonas Schomburg flaunts an exuberance in his racing that few can match.
When he attacked at WTCS Cagliari on the run, it seemed like it would be like the previous times. Think WTCS Bermuda last year (yes, that’s him there attacking out of T2 pictured above). Think Bundesliga Kraichgau last weekend. The man loves an early attack.
This time, though, the move paid off.
For the first lap, Schomburg held firm. With the likes of Hayden Wilde and Alex Yee in pursuit, he focused on his task and held his punishing pace.
Eventually Yee and Wilde passed him. Yet Schomburg held on. Today was going to be his day.
Beforehand, he had a best WTCS finish of 7th which he set at WTCS Stockholm in 2016. As Leo Bergere overtook him and then Pierre Le Corre, it seemed he was in danger of slipping outside of the top-7. When Dorian Coninx nabbed him as the last lap came into sight and Schomburg fell to 6th, it was easy to fear the worst.
Both Csongor Lehmann and Vasco Vilaca were ready to pounce. But Schomburg held firm.
From somewhere, and maybe he might not know entirely from where, he summoned the wherewithal to hold on. He planted himself in 6th place and refused to be displaced. When he crossed the line, he therefore did so to the sweet music of the best finish of his WTCS career.
Nearly seven long years had passed since his previous best. Seven long years of charging out of T2 to take an early lead. And now it had paid dividends.
Sometimes his speed at the start of runs has been entertaining, sometimes farcical, sometimes infuriating as he surrenders what otherwise could be a solid position. However Schomburg is seldom boring. You cannot help but smile to see someone so doggedly determined to try ultimately succeed. In fact, it might just be one of the most satisfying parts of the sport.
Others might talk about Yee and Wilde and the world title. Some might talk about bigger names likes the Olympic champion, Kristian Blummenfelt. No one, though, deserves the plaudits today more than Schomburg.
At the finish line someone should have patted him on the back and said, “king, you dropped your crown.”
