Netherlands will welcome this week the inaugural event of the Hammer Series (1-4 June).
This new concept will see 16 teams, including World Tour leader Quick-Step Floors, fight for victory and overall glory in the Limburg region, which throughout history has earned a place in the cycling pantheon by hosting six editions of the World Championships.
The format includes one climbing day (77km), one sprint day (99.2km) and one time trial day (44.7km), at the end of which a team will be crowned champion. Consisting of 11 laps, the first race will see the first ten riders score points on every lap; the next race will have eight laps and will give the possibility of getting double points on some of these laps. Worth mentioning that also bonus seconds will be up for grabs, and these bonifications could play an important role in the final outcome.
On the last day, the teams will engage in a time trial which will have them start in an order based on the previous results (points+bonus seconds). Raced over three 14.9km-long laps, it will be an exciting and thrilling affair, as the first team to get over the finish line will win the inaugural Hammer Series in Limburg.
"I can't wait to discover this new format. You could see at the Giro d'Italia how important is the team when it comes to an individual's success and I think it's really great to have a race which rewards the entire team for their hard and relentless work. I'm also very happy to finally meet the Dutch fans, of whom I've heard a lot of nice things, and who are renowned for the atmosphere they create in every race", said Fernando Gaviria, a multiple stage winner at the Giro d'Italia, where he conquered the prestigious maglia ciclamino.
Joining the Colombian for the first Hammer Series will be Gianluca Brambilla, Belgium Tour runner-up Rémi Cavagna, Dries Devenyns, four-time Monument winner Philippe Gilbert, Yves Lampaert, who recently came out on top in Gullegem Koerse, and Maximilian Schachmann.
The races – which will give fans at home real-time rider data and ground-breaking graphics – will be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
Yves Lampaert 
