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Reigning SA road champion Darren Lill wins stage six of the Tour of South Africa, from Hermanus to Stellenbosch, earlier this year.

derek wilsnagh

SA Road champion Darren Lill has warmed to the news that Robbie Hunter is targeting his “rainbow jersey” at next year’s national championships to be held in Nelspruit.

After a harrowing start to 2011, when strongman Lill lost his pro ride with the Australian Pegasus team venture – as did Hunter, who was snapped up by RadioShack – the Capetonian bounced back to secure a berth with SA-based DCM.

From limited resources, being a smaller team, he won the national road title on a tough Port Elizabeth course, following up by being the only South African to win a stage of the internationally-enhanced Cell C Cycle Tour of SA.

Lill has since moved on to Bonitas, who have international aspirations next year, and is very excited about 2012.

“I am obviously going to go back with hopes to defend my title and it is great to hear that Robbie is going to be riding, as he will be a key threat and effect how we as a team approach the race.

“But it’s too way out to start weighing how we will shape against one another. All will depend on how his and my form is closer to the time.

“I also have to take into account that I now have a role with a really strong team, with two or three riders capable of winning it, and we may have to play our strengths to our favour in negating a rider like Robbie.

“They say it’s a hard course at Nelspruit which is good for me, but a bit short, 160km, which is a slight concern.”

Hunter has signed for Garmin-Cervélo next year to rejoin forces with US sprinter Tyler Farrar and is looking forward to it.

He wryly admits he is in the final throes of his road career and has no qualms about playing a leadout role as nowadays, being a family man, he is a little more cognisant of the risks when it comes to the argy-bargy of big stage sprinting.

However, he says opportunities to contest sprint stage wins will still arise and when they do, he will not hesitate to roll up his sleeves.

“My career has gone quickly and a big aim is to still win a stage of the Giro D’Italia (to add to his 2007 Tour de France stage victory).

“I’m no Cipollini or McEwan, but I have won about 50 races on the Euro circuit (including the Vuelta a España, Tour of Langkawi and Tour de Suisse)... not a bad figure.

“I have signed a two-year contract with the team and am very happy with my decision. 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.

“We worked well together before, 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 has not contested the SA nationals in 10 years and is determined to wear the national jersey abroad.

“I hear the course is a bit harder than most which suits me as that is better for a rider on his own, it is less easy for the teams to mark you.”

Lill’s predicament is that with his team going to Spain for two six-week stints next year after the SA Road Championships he has to programme himself very carefully.

“This year I peaked early on purpose with the nationals in mind and I was blessed it all came together and I had a great first half of the season. But in the latter part of the season there weren’t many SA races for me to focus on.

“Most, like the 94.7, ended up with bunch sprints which are just not my cup of tea, so for me the season went quiet.

“In one-day races (like at the SA Road Champions) you are controlling as many contingencies as you can with factors beyond your control... it’s like putting all one’s eggs in one basket.

“For me, in 2012, I have to look beyond that at the international races and balance it all as best as possible, and take things as they come.”