Hunter leads Barloworld at the Giro del Capo

Robert Hunter will lead the six-man Barloworld team at the Giro del Capo stage race, March 4 to 8, in his home country of South Africa. He won two stages in last year's event and then-teammate Christian Pfannberger won the overall.

"The weather is excellent with temperatures around 30 degrees and our moral is very good," said Team Manager Claudio Corti.

The race is very important for Corti's team since the base of its sponsor is in the country. Barloworld goes into the race motivated based upon Hunter's recent stage win in the Tour Méditerranéen.

The team will also include Félix Rafael Cárdenas, John-Lee Augustyn, Daryl Impey, Steve Cummings and Chris Froome, who finished second overall in 2008.

"The Giro del Capo is one of the few races in South Africa that Barloworld competes in. As a sponsor with largely South African interests, it is very important for the Team to do well in this race," said Chris Fisher, head of marketing for Barloworld.

The Giro del Capo also features several international teams – Glud & Marstrand Horsens, Kuota-Indeland and Rapha-Condor.

(Additional editorial assistance provided by Susan Westemeyer.)