RadioShack's Robert Hunter has confirmed that he will return to his former Garmin-Cervélo team having signed a two-year contract that will expire at the end of the 2013 season. The South African says he and American sprinter Tyler Farrar have mutually agreed to work together during the sprints next year.
"I will be back with Garmin-Cervélo next year and the year after," Hunter told Cyclingnews. "I have signed a two-year contract with the team. I am very happy with my decision. I think I will be racing a bit of everything from the stage races to the one-day races. One of the main reasons why I went back to the team was to work with Tyler again."
Hunter has enjoyed a lengthy career as one of the top sprinters in the world having won stages of the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, Tour of Langkawi and Tour de Suisse. He has raced for Lampre, Mapei, Rabobank, Phonak and Barloworld, and was a part of the Garmin squad during the 2010 season.
Last year’s merger of two powerhouse squads Garmin-Transitions and Cervélo Test Team caused him to feel uneasy about how he would fit into a team that housed several dominant sprinters. He left for the Pegasus team, and following its demise joined RadioShack for the 2011 season, where he believed his opportunity to be the lead sprinter was greater.
"Tyler and I worked well together before," Hunter said. "But, I felt that last year with the whole infusion of the two teams there wasn't enough opportunity for me and that is why I decided to leave."
Hunter is confident that he will have a place in the sprints during some of the Grand Tour stages and one-day races during the next two seasons.
"Now, there are a lot of guys leaving the team this year, Julian Dean and others," he said. "I spoke with Tyler and we both feel that this is a good time to come back to the team and for us to work together for the coming future."
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Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
