Eddie Dunbar just holds off the main field to take the prime at the Hammer Series in Hong Kong.
It may not have unfolded on terrain that favoured a flyweight climber, but that didn’t stop Eddie Dunbar having a go at the Hammer Series in Hong Kong.
The young Irishman was in action for Team Sky during a two-race day yesterday. And at one point he shot off the front to take a special sprint.
He shot off the front with 35.5km remaining in a three-man group. However, he clearly wasn’t happy with the cooperation, or lack thereof, of the riders he was with.
And when his fellow escapees – from EF Education First-Drapac and BMC Racing – proved reluctant, Dunbar pressed on without them.
Despite the pace in the bunch behind, Dunbar managed to hang on until the finish line a further 1.5km up the road to take the sprint.
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Furthermore, Eddie Dunbar was on the attack again two laps later in what was a determined display.
However, while he gave a good account of himself, the flat course was much more suited to fast and powerful riders.
And by the end of the contest Team Sky was well beaten, with other teams shining brighter in what is a unique event.
Hammer Sprint at @hammerhongkong and it's @TeamSky's @EddieDunbar who is the clear winner. #SunHungKaiProperties #hammerseries pic.twitter.com/Q9yN6Ettq9
— Hammer Series (@HammerSeries) October 14, 2018
The Hammer Series usually involves three races, including a hill climb event.
However, that one discipline that would have suited Eddie Dunbar best was dropped from the format for Hong Kong.
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Instead the riders had just two races to take in; a Hammer Sprint and the Hammer Chase. The races took place with only a very short interval in between.
They were both held over the same 4.3km course, which featured hairpin bends and a short incline.
In the Hammer Sprint the riders did 10 laps of the course; some 43km of action. And the Hammer Chase saw them ride five laps.
The Hammer Sprint is effectively a points race. There are points on the line each lap, with double points awarded on the line at the end of lap three, six and 10. And the team with the most points wins.
The Hammer Chase is a team time trial with a twist. The leading team starts first, followed by the rest of the teams in order of their placings.
There are 20-second intervals between the teams and whoever crosses the line first wins.
While Eddie Dunbar got up the road in the sprint event and took a lap prime it was won by Mitchelton Scott.
The Australian team then hung on in the chase to claim victory in Hong Kong.
Team Sky ended 7th of the 15 teams. And Trek-Segafredo, which featured Irish TT champion Ryan Mullen, was 8th.
The victory by Mitchelton-Scott meant the team took overall victory in the 2018 series.
There were two other events earlier in the year; in Stavanger, Norway, and in Limburg, Holland.
Fast forward to 35.5km to go
Lap six saw double points on offer and @PavelSivakov finished second to propel Team Sky back up to sixth overall - Mitchelton-Scott currently in the leadhttps://t.co/bMD6qDbFZW
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) October 14, 2018
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