Zabel looking forward to autumn

Evergreen Erik Zabel, just as everybody thought that he would never again be able to win a bunch sprint on the highest level, showed at the Vuelta that he was still one of the most gifted sprinters in the bunch. By winning two stages, the Milram rider proved that his nick name 'Mr. Consistency' was well-chosen as he reached his peak after a very long 2006 season.

"I've always raced a lot," said Zabel, who started out last winter with 6-Day track events and the Tour of Qatar in January. "I feel better now than at the beginning of the season." Last year, Zabel was able to score at the autumn classic Paris-Tours when he was still riding for T-Mobile - this fall, the German hopes to perform similarly well, especially at the World Championships next Sunday.

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