Robbie Hunter (cyclist)

Robert "Robbie" Hunter (born 22 April 1977) is a retired South African professional road racing cyclist who competed professionally between 1999 and 2013. Hunter competed with UCI ProTeam Garmin–Sharp during his final professional season.[1][2]

Robert Hunter
Hunter at the 2010 Tour de Romandie
Personal information
Full nameRobert Hunter
NicknameRobbie[1]
Born (1977-04-22) 22 April 1977 (age 47)
Johannesburg, Gauteng,
South Africa
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight72 kg (159 lb)
Team information
Current teamEF Education–EasyPost
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider (retired)
Directeur sportif
Rider typeSprinter
Professional teams
1999–2001Lampre–Daikin
2002Mapei–Quick-Step
2003–2004Rabobank
2005–2006Phonak
2007–2009Barloworld
2010Garmin–Transitions
2011Team RadioShack
2012–2013Garmin–Barracuda
Managerial team
2014–2015Garmin–Sharp
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
1 individual stage (2007)
Giro d'Italia
1 TTT stage (2012)
Vuelta a España
2 individual stages (1999, 2001)

One-Day races and Classics

African Time Trial Championships (2006)
National Time Trial Championships (2000)
National Road Race Championships (2012)
Medal record
Men's road cycling
Representing  South Africa
African Road Championships
Gold medal – first place 2006 Port Louis Time trial
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Port Louis Road race

Career

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Hunter became the first South African to compete in the Tour de France, when he did so in 2001.[3] In 2006, Hunter rode for Phonak in the UCI ProTour, but after their disbandment he signed for UCI Continental Circuits team Barloworld for 2007. His achievements include winning stages at the 1999 and 2001 Vuelta a Españas, the 2007 Tour de France, and the overall title at the 2004 Tour of Qatar, as well as the points classification at the 2004 Tour de Suisse.

In 2007, Hunter returned to the Tour de France as team captain of Barloworld. Hunter won sprint stage 11, the first stage won by an African.[4][5]

Following the 2013 season, Hunter retired from professional cycling.[6][7] Hunter was a directeur sportif for Garmin–Sharp in 2014 and 2015. In November 2015 he announced that he was leaving the team in order to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his role as a rider agent for a number of African cyclists, including Louis Meintjes.[8]

Hunter worked as the video assistant commissaire at the 2018 Tour de France.

Personal life

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Hunter resides in Arth, Schwyz, Switzerland.[1]

Career achievements

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Major results

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Sources:[1][9][10]

1999
Vuelta a España
1st   Sprints classification
1st Stage 1
2000
1st   Time trial, National Road Championships
2nd Overall Ronde van Nederland
1st   Points classification
1st   Young rider classification
1st Stages 2 & 3
2nd EnBW Grand Prix (with Oscar Camenzind)
3rd Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
3rd Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen
2001
1st Tour de Rijke
1st Stage 17 Vuelta a España
9th Overall Ronde van Nederland
1st   Young rider classification
2002
1st Stage 1 Tour de Pologne
2nd Overall Tour de Langkawi
1st   Points classification
1st Stages 1 (ITT), 2 & 5
2nd Grote Prijs Jef Scherens
5th Overall Three Days of De Panne
6th Gent–Wevelgem
7th Road race, Commonwealth Games
2003
4th Tour de Picardie
10th Trofeo Cala Millor
2004
1st   Overall Tour of Qatar
1st Stages 3 & 5
Tour de Suisse
1st Stages 3 & 5
Uniqa Classic
1st   Points classification
1st Stages 1 & 3
1st Stage 4b Sachsen-Tour
5th International Grand Prix Doha
2005
1st International Grand Prix Doha
1st Stage 1 (TTT) Volta a Catalunya
1st Stage 1 Tour de Georgia
1st Stage 4 Setmana Catalana
1st Stage 5 Tour Méditerranéen
8th Trofeo Luis Puig
2006
African Road Championships
1st   Time trial
3rd   Road race
4th Overall Tour of Qatar
2007
1st   Overall Volta ao Distrito de Santarém
1st Stage 2
1st   Overall Tour de Picardie
1st Stage 1
1st Stage 11 Tour de France
1st Stage 2 Clasica Alcobendas
1st Stage 5 Giro del Capo
3rd Coppa Bernocchi
4th Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi
10th Milan–San Remo
10th Grand Prix Pino Cerami
2008
1st Stage 4 GP CTT Correios de Portugal
1st Cape Argus Cycle Tour
4th Memorial Viviana Manservisi
8th Overall Giro della Provincia di Grosseto
2009
1st Stage 3 Giro del Trentino
1st Stage 4 Tour Méditerranéen
3rd Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi
9th Overall Delta Tour Zeeland
2010
Vuelta a Murcia
1st Stages 1 & 2
9th Overall Tour Down Under
2011
1st Mumbai Cyclothon II
1st Stage 1 Tour of Austria
4th Mumbai Cyclothon I
7th Grand Prix de Denain
2012
National Road Championships
1st   Road race
4th Time trial
1st Stage 4 (TTT) Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 2 (TTT) Tour of Qatar
2013
1st   Overall Mzansi Tour
1st   Points classification
1st Stage 2
8th Trofeo Platja de Muro

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

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Grand Tour 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
  Giro d'Italia 154 DNF DNF 141
  Tour de France DNF 97 DNF DNF DNF 118 106 DNF DNF
  Vuelta a España 72 118 DNF
Legend
Did not compete
DNF Did not finish

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Robert Hunter at Garmin-Sharp". Garmin–Sharp. Boulder, Colorado: Slipstream Sports LLC. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  2. ^ "Team Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda Unveils 2013 Roster". Garmin–Sharp. Boulder, Colorado: Slipstream Sports LLC. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. ^ Quenet, Jean-Francois (28 November 2003). "An interview with Robert Hunter: Refocusing after a bad hunting season". Cycling News.
  4. ^ Brink, Tom (23 April 2020). "SA Cycling History: Robert Hunter Wins Tour de France Stage". www.bicycling.co.za. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Eritrean cyclist Biniam Girmay makes Tour de France history, becoming the first black rider to win stage". www.abc.net.au. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Hunter to retire after 16-year career". VeloNews. Competitor Group. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  7. ^ Hood, Andrew (7 October 2013). "Retirements sweeping cycling world". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  8. ^ Benson, Daniel (6 November 2015). "Hunter leaves Cannondale Garmin to pursue new projects". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Robert Hunter at Cycling Base". Cycling Base. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  10. ^ "Robert Hunter at Cycling Archives". Cycling Archives. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
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