The Hammer Series is a brand new format run in partnership by Infront Sports Media & Velon. The first event will take place in Limburg, from 1st to 4th of June. The NIPPO Vini Fantini will be the first Italian team to take part to this amazing new event-format. Damiano Cunego & Ivan Santaromita leaders for Hammer Climbs, Marino Kobayashi and Iuri Filosi the young talents, Nicolas Marini the leader of Hammer Sprint, Riccardo Stacchiotti and Alan Marangoni the team-workers and important for the Hammer Chase.
THE NEW FORMAT
The Hammer Series is coming – a revolutionary new professional road cycling series to crown the world’s best team. Each event in the series – run in partnership by Infront Sports & Media and Velon – will consist of three high-intensity days of racing in a format that will test the teams to their limit by featuring different types of riding, and is guaranteed to go down to the wire.
In June, from 1st to 4th, in Limburg, will take place the first event of the new format. The NIPPO Vini Fantini team will be the first & only Italian team to participate to the first event of this amazing new format.
THE TEAM LINE-UP.
In the 3 days of event the team will be leaded by Damiano Cunego. The Pink Jersey of Giro d’Italia 2004 will be the leader of the Italian-Japanese team, with a special focus on the Hammer Climb day, together with the 2013 Italian National Champion Ivan Santaromita. Two expert riders to lead young talents as Marino Kobayashi. Already under23 National Champion (both race and ITT) he is one of the symbols of the Italian-Japanese project that have the goal to launch Italian and Japanese young talents looking forward to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. With them Iuri Filosi, young Italian talent, he is the winner of the GP Lugano 2017 and can be competitive in all days of the Hammer.
Another young Italian launched by the team will be Nicolas Marini, 23 years old, already 7 victories among PROs he is a sprinter and will lead the team in the Hammer Sprint. To complete the line-up Riccardo Stacchiotti and Alan Marangoni complete riders, team-workers to help the team both in the Hammer Sprint and in the Hammer Chase.
Line-up: Damiano Cunego, Ivan Santaromita, Marino Kobayashi, Iuri Filosi, Nicolas Marini, Riccardo Stacchiotti and Alan Marangoni.
THE SPORTS DIRECTOR – MARIO MANZONI
The Italian Sports Directors is excited about this new format: “This new format is perfect for fans, but also a new challenge for riders and Sports Directors. We have to manage a new kind of strategy. At this first experience our line-up for the race will have climbers as Damiano Cunego and Ivan Santaromita, fast sprinters as Nicolas Marini, good riders for time trial and team-workers as Riccardo Stacchiotti and Alan Marangoni, but also riders able to be competitive all days, as the winner of GP Lugano: Iuri Filosi.”
THE LEADER – DAMIANO CUNEGO
With 48 victories among PRO, he is the leading light for all the young talents of the team. The winner of 1 Giro d’Italia, 3 “Il Lombardia”, 1 Amstel Gold Race, 4 Giro d’Italia Stages, 2 Vuelta a Espana stages and many other races, he is the leader of the Italian-Japanese team. Expert climber he is ready to drive the new generations of the team in the Hammer Series event:
“I have 48 victories in my Career, but I love the motivations coming from new challenges. The first of June I will be in Limburg for a brand new format of races: The Hammer Series and this gives me a lot of motivation. I will be the leader of my team for the Hammer Climb Day and I’m sure will be an amazing experience.”
THE JAPANESE YOUNG TALENT – MARINO KOBAYASHI
The growing star of the Japanese cycling looking forward to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He is Spanish-Japanese, born in 1994, Under23 Japanese National Champion both road and ITT he is the symbol of a nation growing up a new cycling movement together with the NIPPO Vini Fantini team, looking forward to next “Home Olympics”. He begin to ride bicycle everyday at 16 years old because of his 100kg weight, and he falls in love with the bike and with cycling as a sport. Now he is incredible fit with potential testing data incredible compared to all the other riders of the team and well known in Japan as the growing star of the Japanese cycling.
“It is an honor for me to take part at the first edition of the Hammer Series. I hope to help my team expecially in the Hammer Climb day taking some important points.”
MUCH MORE THAN A RACE.
The team will wait for all his fans to enjoy the event all together. The 4-day cycling festival will not only be pro racing but a chance to participate in races, relax with friends, and grab a bite to eat. Team parades, bike experience areas, entertainment and the expo will make this a hub to hang out, watch the races and have a fun-filled day.
Find out about all the team line-ups on the Hammer Series website: www.hammerseries.com along with how you can take part in the event.
You can join in the conversation about Hammer on:
Facebook at www.facebook.com/hammerseries
Twitter at www.twitter.com/hammerseries
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hammerseries