Erik Zabel
07-07-06, 09:53 AM
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Erik Zabel
Erik Turned 36 today, and while there was no gift at the finish line, I figured some of you may want to know more about this guy. He is a STUD. He races all season long, sometimes all 3 grand tours, races and wins in the 6 day circuit on the velodromes around europe in the winter as well. This is probably why he has won the spring classic of Milan-San Remo 4 times, he would have won it 5, but he put is hands up too soon, and got pipped at the line by Oscar Freire
Zabel has 200 professional wins to his credit, the most of any active racer. My guess is he probably has at least 5 times that in podium places (top 3)
And While he has not found the front of the bunch in this years TdF, please know that he has won the Green Jersey Competiton in the TdF SIX times! Let's hope he doesn't move to the US and start racing masters 35+
Below are some notable wins:
2005
Paris-Tours
Rund um den Henninger Turm
2004
Vuelta a España: Blue Jersey points competition
World Cycling Championship: Silver Medal
2003
German National Cycling Championship – Road Race
Vuelta a España: 2 stages; Blue Jersey points competition
Paris-Tours
2002
Tour de France: 1 stage; 1 day in Yellow Jersey (after Stage 3)
Vuelta a España: Blue Jersey points competition
Rund um den Henninger Turm
Tour de Suisse: points competition
Tirreno-Adriatico: points competition
Tour of the Netherlands: points competition
Tour of Germany: points competition
Number 1 in the UCI ranking
2001
Tour de France: 3 stages; Green Jersey points classification
Vuelta a España: 3 stages
Milan-Sanremo
HEW Cyclassics
Number 1 in the UCI ranking
2000
Tour de France: 1 stage; Green Jersey
Milan-Sanremo
Amstel Gold Race
1999
Tour de France: Green Jersey
Rund um den Henninger Turm
1998
Tour de France: Green Jersey
Milan-Sanremo
German National Cycling Championship – Road Race
1997
Tour de France: 3 stages; Green Jersey
Milan-Sanremo
Grote Scheldeprijs
1996
Tour de France: 2 stages; Green Jersey
1995
Tour de France: 2 stages
1994
Paris-Tours
Zabel has 200 professional wins to his credit, the most of any active racer. My guess is he probably has at least 5 times that in podium places (top 3)
And While he has not found the front of the bunch in this years TdF, please know that he has won the Green Jersey Competiton in the TdF SIX times! Let's hope he doesn't move to the US and start racing masters 35+
Below are some notable wins:
2005
Paris-Tours
Rund um den Henninger Turm
2004
Vuelta a España: Blue Jersey points competition
World Cycling Championship: Silver Medal
2003
German National Cycling Championship – Road Race
Vuelta a España: 2 stages; Blue Jersey points competition
Paris-Tours
2002
Tour de France: 1 stage; 1 day in Yellow Jersey (after Stage 3)
Vuelta a España: Blue Jersey points competition
Rund um den Henninger Turm
Tour de Suisse: points competition
Tirreno-Adriatico: points competition
Tour of the Netherlands: points competition
Tour of Germany: points competition
Number 1 in the UCI ranking
2001
Tour de France: 3 stages; Green Jersey points classification
Vuelta a España: 3 stages
Milan-Sanremo
HEW Cyclassics
Number 1 in the UCI ranking
2000
Tour de France: 1 stage; Green Jersey
Milan-Sanremo
Amstel Gold Race
1999
Tour de France: Green Jersey
Rund um den Henninger Turm
1998
Tour de France: Green Jersey
Milan-Sanremo
German National Cycling Championship – Road Race
1997
Tour de France: 3 stages; Green Jersey
Milan-Sanremo
Grote Scheldeprijs
1996
Tour de France: 2 stages; Green Jersey
1995
Tour de France: 2 stages
1994
Paris-Tours
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"You should already be aware that riding with people who steer with their elbows, stick food to the top tube of their frames and ride around in dick togs is not a great idea." -- Classic1
07-07-06, 10:20 AM
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Thanks for the information, Smoothie. Good stuff.
Yikes... that's gotta be rough.... 
Originally Posted by Smoothie104
he would have won it 5, but he put is hands up too soon, and got pipped at the line by Oscar Freire
07-07-06, 10:33 AM
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The guy's a total badass. I'd love to see him snag another stage win this tour. He's always up there in the mix.
07-07-06, 10:37 AM
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Erik's terrific and can still sprint. But he should have known better in that photo finish - lots of top guys like Gianni Bugno for example, have lost on the line throwing their hands up too early, either losing by a tire's width or worse, falling before the finish...
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07-07-06, 10:53 AM
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Note that many of his 6 TDF sprinters jerseys came when his team was putting the vast majority of their effort into supporting their GC contender. I think in one case except for the very early flat stages and perhaps the flat stages after the mountians he got virtually no help in the form of leadouts at all.
07-07-06, 09:00 PM
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I got Hell on Wheels its a great documentery. It really shows what the Tour is all about. I feel the same way about Zabel too bad he didnt win that stage the other day (flat).He really does seem down to earth.
07-07-06, 09:36 PM
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My training parther has buddy in Germany who works as a Soigneur for the German national team and such. So when he goes to visit, he gets to meet a lot of racers, he got to have Beer with Zabel after the 6 day in Bremen. He got to meet Marco Villa as well.
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07-08-06, 04:17 AM
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That's awesome, thanks for the info. I'd rather have a little more info like that than than another "10//2" moment.
07-08-06, 06:17 PM
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I really think Erik should have done the late career morph into a classics rider like Museeuw did. He used to climb well enough to do it. It's sad to see him finish his career getting 10th on stages.
I believe he has 192 wins though.
I believe he has 192 wins though.
07-08-06, 10:14 PM
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There is a tendency for people to inappropriately bandy terms around like 'champion' when referring to some riders. I subscribe to the theory that there are only ever a few champions racing in any one era. In Zabels case the term 'champion' is more than warranted.
07-08-06, 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by classic1
There is a tendency for people to inappropriately bandy terms around like 'champion' when referring to some riders. I subscribe to the theory that there are only ever a few champions racing in any one era. In Zabels case the term 'champion' is more than warranted.
07-09-06, 06:43 AM
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Yea, I know what you mean. I'm a Lance fan, but the whole 10//2 thing is really unbalanced. I know we're just "Americans", but believe it or not, we're interested in ALL the bike racers. After getting caught up on all the riders and teams via Cycle Sport, it's kind of annoying to watch OLN's American slant. Americans are great riders, but let's hear more about the Erik Zabels, the other teams, etc. We are smart enough! We are worldly enough! I promise!
Originally Posted by Dead Extra #2
That's awesome, thanks for the info. I'd rather have a little more info like that than than another "10//2" moment.
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2006 Specialized Allez Comp Cro-Mo
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07-09-06, 07:43 AM
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Originally Posted by lokerola
.... but let's hear more about the Erik Zabels, the other teams, etc. ..
Sure things get a bit slanted, but if you've watched coverage anywhere around world other than from your living room, you'll realize the same bias, if not greater, occurs over there too. What do you think is top conversation in French coverage, German coverage? Been to Basque country lately?
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07-09-06, 11:02 AM
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from wikipedia.com
"On May 24th 2006 Erik took his 200th career victory as a professional when he won the opening stage of the Bayern Rundfahrt stage race."
yet cycling news says 192, some older palmares sites also say 192. either way, the guys a total bad ass
"On May 24th 2006 Erik took his 200th career victory as a professional when he won the opening stage of the Bayern Rundfahrt stage race."
yet cycling news says 192, some older palmares sites also say 192. either way, the guys a total bad ass
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"You should already be aware that riding with people who steer with their elbows, stick food to the top tube of their frames and ride around in dick togs is not a great idea." -- Classic1
"You should already be aware that riding with people who steer with their elbows, stick food to the top tube of their frames and ride around in dick togs is not a great idea." -- Classic1
Last edited by Smoothie104; 07-09-06 at 11:12 AM.
07-09-06, 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Smoothie104
My training parther has buddy in Germany who works as a Soigneur for the German national team and such. So when he goes to visit, he gets to meet a lot of racers, he got to have Beer with Zabel after the 6 day in Bremen. He got to meet Marco Villa as well.
07-09-06, 05:49 PM
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yup, therye on here somewhere. I will dig it up or repost it.
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"You should already be aware that riding with people who steer with their elbows, stick food to the top tube of their frames and ride around in dick togs is not a great idea." -- Classic1
"You should already be aware that riding with people who steer with their elbows, stick food to the top tube of their frames and ride around in dick togs is not a great idea." -- Classic1
