Garmin-Sharp has confirmed the signing of American rider Caleb Fairly for 2013, taking the American team’s compliment up to 29. The 25-year-old from Amarillo, Texas, was to be a member of the Spidertech team next year, but the team folded in October, citing a financial shortfall; left with little time to secure a spot for the coming season, Fairly appears to have fallen on his feet as he returns to the team where his career began.
“I'm very excited to be joining Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda,” he said. “I feel like I'm 're-joining' them, as I grew up in their development team. I was excited when Jonathan offered me the opportunity to come back.”
Fairly signed for Slipstream Sports’ development team, Felt-Holowesko, in 2009, before racing for Garmin-Transitions as a stagiaire at the end of the 2010 season. His first full-pro contract came with HTC-Highroad in 2011, however, before signing for Spidertech p/b C10 when that team folded.
“I had some of my best racing results in 2010 while riding for the development team and staigiairing [sic] for the pro team,” Fairly explained. “I want to build on that and become a valuable asset to the team. Having now spent time at other places, there is definitely something different about this team - I've missed it. I'm really happy to be back.”
In 2010 Fairly won the Tour of the Battenkill as an under-23, then finished second in the Giro della Toscana behind Daniele Bennati and Marco Marcato while riding for the ProTeam. Stepping up to a higher level of racing in the years since, his best result in 2012 was fifth place in the third stage of the third stage of the Tour of Utah in Salt Lake City.
“Caleb is a huge talent and we are thrilled to have him back on the team,” said team manager Jonathan Vaughters. “He was the most winning rider on our development squad in 2010, a year when he was also a stagiaire for the pro team. We lost him in 2011 but we are incredibly happy to have him in our ranks again.”