Unique cycling series expected to reach dramatic climax in October following successful stages in Stavanger and Limburg
Hong Kong - The format of the final event, which will crown Hammer Series 2018 champions, has been revealed - two back-to-back races taking place in the spectacular setting of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong.
More of the world’s top professional cyclists than ever before will take to the streets of Hong Kong on #ShowdownSunday on 14 October, to fight it out in a Hammer Sprint and Hammer Chase to win Hammer Hong Kong.
Infront is responsible for overseeing media production and distribution across broadcast and live streaming platforms, granting the fans optimal access to their sport. The first two races were broadcast live across Europe, USA, Canada and most of South America through traditional broadcast channels and streamed live across a range of the most popular online social media and streaming platforms.
After winning Hammer Stavanger and coming second in Hammer Limburg earlier this year, Mitchelton-SCOTT go to Hong Kong on top of the leader board with 181 points. Quick-Step Floors lie in second place on 153 and BMC Racing Team are third on 109.
Cameron Meyer, Mitchelton-SCOTT rider, said: “I am really excited about the opportunity to compete in the Hammer Series finale after our team’s strong performances in Stavanger and Limburg. We’ve shown that this racing format suits us and we will go in as one of the favourites to take the series title.
“It will be really interesting to compete in Hong Kong, I have great memories of racing there and winning two World Track Championships last year. It is fantastic to have cycling events on a global scale outside of Europe and I am sure the fans and public will be entertained with some great racing.”
Mark Butterman, Director Summer Sports at Infront and Co-Managing Director of Hammer Series said: "After successfully introducing the Hammer Series to the world in 2017 it is great to see it expand into Asia. The format of the race welcomes itself to great exposure onsite, and with the digital footprint delivering the event through a wide range of channels, especially through partnerships with social networks such as Twitter, the audience will only continue to grow. The concept of this finale will add to that spectacle and sets a new benchmark for next year."
Graham Bartlett, Chief Executive of Velon, said: "We are so excited to bring the Series finale of Hammer to Hong Kong. The teams will be racing all out to win the Series and Hammer Hong Kong will be a fantastic place to crown the winning team."
Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Hammer Series to Asia for the first time and to hold the Series finale in Hong Kong, which reinforces the city’s position as the Events Capital of Asia.
“Top professional teams from around the world will gather in Hong Kong forming part of the 2018 Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon, to compete for glory against the backdrop of our famous Victoria Harbour. Bringing the Hammer Series to Hong Kong will not only allow visitors and locals to experience up close one of the best cycling tournaments in the world, but also showcase the dynamism of our city through global media coverage of the event.”
Hammer Hong Kong will be streamed live and free to watch on hammerseries.com and the Hammer Series social media channels.
Video streams and clips from Hammer Stavanger and Hammer Limburg had more than seven million views, underlining the worldwide interest and popularity of the Hammer Series format, which is shorter and punchier than other races and is all about the team, not individual riders.
With three stages in 2018, the aim is to increase the Hammer Series to between four and six races in 2019. Longer term, the goal is to grow the Hammer Series into a global series of ten city hub-based races that builds upon the appeal of premium professional cycling and serves as a communications platform for host cities to promote and demonstrate initiatives in active lifestyle, mobility and sports tourism.
About Infront
Infront is a leading sports marketing company managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events, including the distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production, event operation and digital solutions. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of more than 1,000 staff working from 39 offices across more than 14 countries, delivering 4,100 event days of top class sport around the world every year. In 2015, Infront was integrated into Wanda Sports Group, part of Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group.
