Launched in an attempt to rethink the way we view professional cycling racing, the Hammer Series will return in 2018 adding a second event in Stavanger, Norway.

Kickstarting two back-to-back weekends of the Hammer Series this latest three days of racing will take place from 25th to 27th May with the original Limburg event taking place on the following weekend, 1st to 3rd June.

Like last year's inaugural event, the Stavanger Hammer Series will be broken down into three days - the Hammer Climb, Hammer Sprint and Hammer Chase - in the search to find the best team over the entire event.

Uniquely, this race does not crown an individual winner at its conclusion rather a winning team. The eventual winners will be those who cross the line first in day three's Hammer Chase, a pursuit style team time trial in which teams set off individually in order of who has performed the best over the past two days, with the best team setting off first.

The team setting off first will be the team that has accumilated the most points from the two days previously, one focusing on a climbing circuit the other a sprint circuit in which points are won at every crossing of the finish line.

Information on this year's routes, startlist and where to watch the event will be available at the Hammer Series website.

Added to the 2018 series will be Peter Sagan's Bora-Hansgrohe who will join the likes of Team Sunweb and 2017 winners Team Sky in the hunt for glory.

Last year, a gutsy ride from Tao Geoghegan-Hart in the final Chase managed to clinch victory for the British WorldTour team despite Tom Dumoulin and his Team Sunweb almost overtaking them in the closing metres.

Dumoulin, who will be unable to race this year's event due to it conflicting with the Giro d'Italia, praised the Hammer Series for its modern approach to cycling.

'We had a great first Hammer race in Limburg last year. We were there with a strong team and nearly won. This year we will be there with a strong line-up once again, to try to go for a good result,' the Giro champion said.

'The Hammer Series is an ideal platform for modern cycling and very exciting for new generations of fans. I really like that all riders contribute to the team result and perform as one unit.'