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news
Team Sky win inaugural Hammer Series (picture credit Team Sunweb).jpgVideo: Team Sky win inaugural Hammer Series – by just 1 second
Team Sky have won the inaugural Hammer Series in the Dutch province of Limburg, holding off the challenge of Team Sunweb to take victory by just one second in the event staged by Velon, the joint venture comprising a number of UCI WorldTour teams.
The results of the first two days of competition – Friday’s Hammer Climb and Saturday’s Hammer Sprint – determined the order the teams, each comprising five riders from a squad of eight, would set off in.
The 16 teams, 12 from the UCI WorldTour and four with Professional Continental status, were split into two pools depending on their performance on the preceding two days, with only the eight in the second pool able to contest the win.
The points amassed by Team Sky’s riders on the first two days meant they led the second group off first on the course, comprising three laps of a 14.9-kilometre circuit, with a 32-second head start over Sunweb.
Both teams had lost one rider when Sunweb caught and passed Team Sky with just 3.5 kilometres remaining, but the leaders responded through a late attack from Danny van Poppel entering the finishing straight.
With two team mates on his wheel, and the fourth rider’s position determining the team’s result, it was down to Tao Geoghegan Hart to hold off the Sunweb charge – and while Max Walscheid crossed the line ahead of him, the British rider managed to keep the other three at bay.
This was some finish!!! An epic finale to #HammerSeries. Elia, Doull, DVP and Tao won the sprint. Well done boys pic.twitter.com/EEBiwFwQcJ
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) June 4, 2017
Afterwards, van Poppel said: “I had to bring them to the last corner in front and it was really close. If I didn’t do that, we didn’t win.”
Team Sky sports director Servais Knaven added: “Danny did a great last job into the last corner, and then it was a bit of a battle that I saw with Tao … it was almost like a bunch sprint on time trial bikes.”
While it is clear there are some teething problems with the format, as would be expected with any new event, the general reception over the three days as a whole was positive from riders, teams and fans alike – with 1.5 million people watching it online or through the Velon app.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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11 comments
Well there is one second, and there is one second. The photo implies it was as close as a normal sprint, but guy 4 had guys 2, 3 and 4 behind him. Still quite close. So what have they won?
It is any surprise that Sky won a team competition when they are the best funded, best paid team? Will it do much to change the sport?... (no is what I saying.)
I really enjoyed the racing. It was obvious that they were giving it full gas, and if riders are full gas more of the time, you see their real strength. How hard can you smash it for how long is the essentially what we all want to find out. Riders popping of the back of a peleton that isn't holding back because the stage is so short. Frenetic, unpredictable and extremely entertaining. GCN commentary was also pretty good. A mix of tactical insights and having a beer with your mates banter that sky/eurosport want to copy, because it takes that boredom that can set in on a stagnant sprinters stage out of the equation.
On reflection, I think the concept worked pretty well. I would suggest reducing the number of point opportunities to every other lap, as it was all just a little too intense for my liking.
I'd also suggest getting rid of the no-drafting rule. Put the guys on road bikes and let it play out like a round of the tour series... So its a team time trial, and handicapped, but assuming the organisation can't manage the drafting, its better to embrace the chaos and the exciting tactical dispay possible and let the lads crack on with it.
A wonderful mix of handicap racing, TTT, and Olymic Triathlon bike stage... all in one.
Wasn't the idea to be as unlike the Tours as possible - exciting - everything to play for - absolutely give it your all leaving nothing in the tank in order to win and be top dog.
Congratulations Team Sky and thanks to the GCN lads for such great coverage.
I was referring to the UK Tour Series, which is a town centre series, based on team performance rather than individual result.
My favourite part was seeing the faces of the Sky riders as they came over the line. The were properly smashed and certainly not holding back. If you show the dog the rabbitt......
i thought it was great. will definitely be watching the next one.
Agreed. Next one's in 2018. Apparently they're repeating it in Limburg, then having a second event in Norway as per the GCN lads.
Carlos Betancur was a monster on the first day. Best riding he's done in years.
General problem with the third day's event, the Hammer Chase, was enforcement of the no-drafting-of-other-teams rule. Many of the Limburg streets that hosted the event are just too narrow to avoid drafting of some sort.
error post.
I must confess, this new thing has completely passed me by. Is there a large prize fund for the winner and/or winning team?