| Intro | South African road bicycle racer |
| Is |
Athlete Sport cyclist |
| From | South Africa |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth |
22 April 1977, Johannesburg |
| Age | 43 years |
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.
Career
Hunter became the first South African to compete in the Tour de France, when he did so in 2001. In 2006, Hunter rode for Phonak in the UCI ProTour, but after their disbandment he signed for UCI Continental Circuits side 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 subsequently won sprint stage 11, which was the first stage won by a South African.
In 2008, Hunter was allowed by the Tour de France’s doping controllers to fly to Switzerland on 4 July, the day before the start, to be at his wife Claudia’s side for the birth of his daughter, Mandy Inga Hunter.
Following the 2013 season, Hunter announced his retirement from professional cycling. 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.
Personal life
Hunter resides in Arth, Schwyz, Switzerland.
Career achievements
Major results
Sources:
- 1999
- 1st, Stage 1, Vuelta a España
- 2000
- 1st, National Time Trial Championships
- 2nd, Overall, Ronde van Nederland
- 1st, Stages 3 & 4
- 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
- 2002
- 1st, Stage 1, Tour de Pologne
- 2nd, Overall, Tour de Langkawi
- 1st, Points classification
- 1st, Stages 1, 2 & 5
- 2nd, Grote Prijs Jef Scherens
- 5th, Overall, Three Days of De Panne
- 6th, Gent–Wevelgem
- 2003
- 4th, Tour de Picardie
- 2004
- Tour de Suisse
- 1st, Points classification
- 1st, Stages 3 & 5
- 1st, Overall, Tour of Qatar
- 1st, Stages 3 & 5
- 1st, Stage 4, Sachsen-Tour
- 2005
- 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
- 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 2, Clasica Alcobendas
- 1st Stage 5, Giro del Capo
- 1st, Stage 11, Tour de France
- 3rd, Coppa Bernocchi
- 10th, Grand Prix Pino Cerami
- 10th, Milan-San Remo
- 2008
- 1st, Stage 4, GP CTT Correios de Portugal
- 1st, Cape Argus Cycle Tour
- 8th, Giro della Provincia di Grosseto
- 2009
- 1st, Stage 3, Giro del Trentino
- 1st, Stage 4, Tour Méditerranéen
- 3rd, Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi
- 2010
- 1st, Stages, 1 & 2, Tour of Murcia
- 9th, Overall, Tour Down Under
- 2011
- 1st, Mumbai Cyclothon II
- 1st, Stage 1, Österreich Rundfahrt
- 4th, Mumbai Cyclothon I
- 7th, Grand Prix de Denain
- 2012
- 1st, National Road Race Championships
- 1st, Stage 2 (TTT), Tour of Qatar
- 1st, Stage 4 (TTT), Giro d’Italia
- 4th, National Time Trial Championships
- 2013
- 8th, Trofeo Platja de Muro
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 154 | — | WD | WD | 141 |
| Tour | — | — | WD | 97 | WD | — | WD | WD | 118 | 106 | — | WD | — | WD | — |
| Vuelta | 72 | — | — | 118 | — | WD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
WD = Withdrew; In Progress = IP.