12th place at Hammer Sprint
Movistar Team to start as 5th tomorrow in the Hammer Chase, the TTT showdown of the inaugural Hammer Series: 1'25 behind leaders Sunweb; only 6" after Nippo (4th), 26" behind Lotto-Soudal (3rd)
Movistar Team took 12th place at a fast-paced, demanding Hammer Sprint, the second race of the inaugural Hammer Series, over 99km (eight laps) around the Sportzone complex in Sittard (Limburg, NED).
Points obtained by Carlos Barbero and Alex Dowsett (twice each; 16.7pt in total) were enough for the Pablo Lastras-led squad to claim a spot within the eight teams with a right to contest the overall success at Sunday's Hammer Chase (44km, team time trial, pursuit format).
The telephone squad, 5th overall, will depart 1'25" behind leaders Sunweb by virtue of the base table established by the organisers, combined with bonus seconds obtained on the Climb and Sprint. The Movistar Team will enjoy an immediate visual reference with Nippo-Vini Fantini (4th) starting only 6" ahead. The Blues will even have a shot at the podium, as Lotto-Soudal (3rd) will start only 26" before the Spanish outfit.