by Andrew G » Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:32 pm
"Look Mum, no hands".
I'll be sorry to see Zabel go as he's always been one of my favourites, such an all round good egg and nice guy. One from the old school who rides in all weathers in winter, races from early in the year to last of the races, and then goes on to do the 6 days. Just loves riding his bike. I remember seeing one interview with him where they showed his "stable". Boy was that to die for, he's kept one of every bike he's ever raced on plus some other real beauties.
Far from knocking him for finishing 2nd so much I think it's a true measure of him that he has continued to rack up the top placings and be competitive whoever has been the top dog sprint specialist (Cipo, McEwan etc) throughout his career in sprinter's classics and grand tour stages, whilst unlike them he has also ridden hard and well in the true hard man classics like Flanders.