Csongor Lehmann powers to dramatic victory at Supertri Jersey
In a dramatic race full of crashes, penalties and athletic spectacle, Csongor Lehmann of Stars & Stripes has today surged to victory at Supertri League Jersey.
The 26-year-old Hungarian would pull ahead on the final run leg of the nine-stage triathlon to edge out Crown Racing’s established Supertri force Vasco Vilaça and Oliver Conway of Brownlee Racing in a breakout race for the 20-year-old Brit.
Lehmann’s five-second margin of victory over Vilaça only told part of the story, however, with Vilaça suffering a five-second penalty for a transition infringement and both experienced triathlon forces Tayler Reid and Jonny Brownlee crashing on the wet Channel Island concrete.
Conway, meanwhile, would take third 9secs back from Lehmann, with the 20-year-old putting in a statement performance that lays down a marker for the future. “That was the best turnout for a race that I’ve ever seen,” said the Brit at the finish. “I just tried to enjoy every moment of it and get stuck in.”
Today’s race was the Jersey’s record fifth Supertri League race since its debut in 2017, and Supertri’s spiritual home in St. Helier delivered one of the most technical routes in the series, with a deep-water and chilly harbour swim followed by technical bike and run legs full of tight turns and sections subject to sharp coastal winds.
“I can’t believe what just happened,” said the Lehmann at the finish line. “Winning a Supertri race is huge – it’s a dream becoming a reality. The race was so intense from the beginning until the end and I knew I had to go all out on the final run as Vasco is a brilliant runner. Somehow, I managed to hold on. Now I really have a big chance to win the overall series and I’m really excited for Toulouse.”
Having finished second at the four-date series opener in Toronto, Lehmann now goes into the series finale in Toulouse on 5 October with a two-point lead at the top of the leaderboard ahead of Vilaça and Alberto González Garcia, the latter absent in Jersey.
As for the team standings following both women’s and men’s races in Jersey, the results now place Podium Racing clear at the top with 263 points. Crown Racing are second with 225, Brownlee Racing third with 190 and Stars & Stripes back in fourth, despite Lehmann’s victory, still in fourth with 168 points. But, with double points to play for in Toulouse, there’s plenty still on the line.
STAGE BREAKDOWN
STAGE 1
The first 300m swim stage of the day began with Brownlee Racing’s swim machine Marcus Dey straight to the fore, with Chase McQueen of Stars & Stripes on his toes. McQueen would exit the water first onto the short, sharp jetty, however, to scoop the Short Chute for his squad. Crown Racing wouldn’t have an athlete in the top 12.
The 4km bike was initially led by McQueen before a fantastic five formed at the front, consisting of McQueen, Podium Racing’s Tayler Reid and Mitch Kolkman, Csongor Lehmann of Stars & Stripes, as well as Dey. That lead group would become seven by T2, with 20-year-old rising star Oliver Conway of Brownlee Racing and Crown Racing’s Supertri powerhouse Vasco Vilaça joining the party.
The debut 1.6km run would commence with Lehmann ensuring Stars & Stripes were in control of Short Chute honours ahead of Reid, with Vilaça looming ominously in third. Jonny Brownlee, meanwhile, would be lodged in the first chase pack, around 11secs back. Vilaça (gaining a Short Chute for Crown Racing), Reid and Lehmann would finish the stage first, but Lehmann dropping his cap would cost the Stars & Stripes valuable seconds.
STAGE 2
Into St. Helier’s deep waters for the second 300m swim of the event, with Podium Racing’s Mitch Kolkman in his debut race emerging as a contender and exiting onto the ramp in first position ahead of Reid and Lehmann.
The 4km bike saw a lead pack of nine emerge at the fore, with Reid pushing the tempo to stretch the field out and establishing an advantage of three seconds. Bad news would arrive from the chase pack in the form of Jonny Brownlee, one of triathlon’s greatest cyclists, hitting the deck on the tight city streets, having crashed in practise the day before as well. Brownlee would get back on his bike but also crashing was Charles Paquet, who’d DNF after hitting the tarmac.
The second 1.6km run began with a lead pack of five – led by Vilaça and also boasting Reid, Kolkman, Lehmann and Conway – eight seconds ahead of the chasers. That lead would increase as the run continued, with the winner and podium athletes surely coming from the leaders.
STAGE 3
That five would remain inseparable on the 300m swim, with Vilaça and Reid again the first to enter T1 and exit onto the bike leg for the final time.
Conway and Kolkman had slipped seconds behind at the start of the 4km bike, with Kiwi Reid the latest to crash on the slippery Channel Island concrete, losing a shoe and 20secs of time in the process. Kolkman would also slip behind in a further blow for Podium Racing, but the drama would continue with Vilaça suffering a five second penalty for a goggle infringement in T1.
The 1.6km run would commence with Lehmann, Conway and Vilaça at the front and Kolkman desperately trying to reduce the deficit to no avail. Vilaça and Lehmann would have Short Chutes (as well as a penalty for Vilaça). Vilaça’s penalty would surely push him out of the reckoning, with Lehmann’s Short Chute moving him into the lead with a three second advantage with 700m to go. Vilaça would overtake Conway with 500m to go and one of Supertri’s greatest comebacks looked briefly on, but the Portuguese ran out of yards to finish in second 5secs behind the American. Conway would take third in a statement performance 9secs back, with Kolkman finishing fourth 38secs back and Reid 1:02mins back in fifth.
