Australian sprinter Jonathan Cantwell joins Saxo Bank-SunGard. The 29 year old Gold Coast native has agreed to a contract for the 2012 season.

“Jonathan has won many races in the past four years whilst riding in Australia and the States and has shown he is a winner. I feel he now deserves a shot at the very top level. He is a hard working person and a tough guy, and I believe he can further lift his level. So I see Jonathan as an asset for us in the stage races, when it comes to helping out J.J. Haedo in the sprints, or going for a win himself,” team owner Bjarne Riis says.

In both 2009 and 2010 Jonathan Cantwell rode for Australian Continental outfit Fly V Australia racking up 37 professional wins before signing for the now closed Pegasus team. In 2011 he then returned to V Australia and secured another 8 wins, including the Australian Crit. Championship.

Now he is looking forward to join Saxo Bank-SunGard.

“To get a spot on Saxo Bank-SunGard is pretty much a dream come true for me, and if I could choose a team myself, it would be this team, so I couldn’t be happier, and I’m really looking forward to get onboard,” Cantwell explains.

“My personal objective is to be a strong lead out for J.J. Haedo and just learn from Bjarne Riis, his group of sport directors and my new team mates. I’m 29 year old, and I have been waiting for this opportunity, so I definitely want to show my face too. Number one is to do the job, the team asks from me, and secondly, if I’m told that “this is your chance”, then I want to take it with both hands and go for a win,” Jonathan Cantwell continues.