Jacob Schembri Malta U-23 champion: “It’s always a pleasure and satisfying to be national champion”
Jacob Schembri is one of the two Maltese cyclists with whom the Polti Kometa team collaborates within the framework of the agreement with Visit Malta. Schembri and Luke Borg are the most visible face of an agreement that will gain strength and presence in the coming seasons between Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso’s team and Visit Malta, the Maltese tourism authority. They booth have been included in the team’s routine with the same training method and coaches as part of that agreement.
In the case of Jacob Schembri, Antonio Campos have taken care about him and his trainings. The job they have done together has meant that Jacob has recently been proclaimed Maltese road cycling champion in both road cycling and individual time trial, in the under-23 category: “Its always a pleasure and satisfying to be national champion both in time trial and road as this proves that my hard work both on the bike and off the bike is always paying off. Special thanks to Antonio Campos for always taking care of me on the bike and in the gym”. In this collaboration between the two organizations, the cyclists are the key element and Schembri is part of it, with the support of one of the team’s trainers.
“We have been working together for two years now and we have coincided in the team’s training camps, so our communication is good, as well as his adaptation to the working method. I also adapt it to his needs due to his context of combining competition and work”, explains Campos about his relationship with Schembri. “The methodology is the same as the one we use with the rest of the riders in the under-23 team. We work through Trainingpeaks. He is adapted and comfortable. At this point things are starting to work out. He has had a very good and favorable evolution”, he added.
Jacob won the national championship after winning the majority of the races: “We have 3 road races and 3 time trial races for the championships, so it is 3 races with points each one. I prepared well for every race so winning the majority of the races meant that both national titles were in my hands”. The time trials felt “super good” for Jacob, especially doing good power registers in all races meaning not only he managed to win but also, that “I am progressing as a rider”. He also was very active on the road races: “In the road races my aim was to keep as active as I could while still aiming for the win. Winning the majority of races once again meant I won the road race nationals as well while also placing second in the elite category on some races which was super satisfying”.
That victory meant a lot for him, also for the collaboration between the team and Visit Malta, and also for his trainer on a difficult week. “Just in the last week of the nationals he got sick with a complicated flu and he did not train too much and I was surprised when he won the nationals because we did not expect that the performance would be no longer good, if not normal. He has been quite consistent, with good results and with a very big jump in quality compared to the previous season” analyzed Campos.
“My next goal is to race and get results abroad and away from malta as here the competition is not the highest and I wish to get noticed abroad to maybe make the next step to become professional one day”, explains Schembri. Malta is a great tourist destination and a place where the climate is good, but where the cycling culture is slowly but surely catching up. The collaboration between the team and the Maltese authorities is highlighting the country’s cycling culture and directly supporting the riders in their efforts to one day become professional cyclists. “Every year I am improving and getting more comfortable and better on the bike when it comes to every aspect. Coaches, food wise, gym… all play a part in the gains done every year, but yes, this year I reached a better level than ever before”.
“Being in collaboration with a team like Polti Kometa is always nice and helpful especially with the coaches and the training camps that occur. My coach I would say is the biggest help that makes the process both enjoyable and effective”, describes Schembri, who has been able to progress from year to year and show a better performance each time, which has led him to participate in the World Championships and to become national champion. Part of this progress, as he himself says, is due to the aforementioned collaboration. “My dream as a cyclist is to become pro one day and to prove to everyone that my dream to do so is possible. It wont be easy nor straight forward but with the right mindset it will happen”.
