Erik ZABEL

Erik Zabel was a German professional who turned professional in 1992 and became one of the great road sprinters in the peloton. He has won over 200 races on the professional calendar, more than any rider of his era. At the grand tours, he has won the points classification nine times, a record, winning the Tour de France green jersey in 1995-97 and 2000-02, setting a record for the Tour with six points victories. He also won the Vuelta à España points classification in 2002-04. He has won 41 stages at the Tour, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta, 12 in the Tour, 21 at the Giro and eight at the Vuelta, which ranks him sixth all-time. Zabel has not managed to win the World Championship road race, but was on the podium three times – silver in 2004 and 2006 and bronze in 2002. In one-day classics, Zabel is most notable for winning at Milano-Sanremo four times, in 1997-98 and 2000-01. He also won the Amstel Gold Race in 2000 and Paris-Tours in 1994, 2003, and 2005. He also won the UCI World Cup in 2000. In the winter Zabel has frequently raced indoors, winning 14 different six-day races between 1995-2009.