Zabel wheel auctioned for club development

Want to own a piece of Tour de France history? Wheel manufacturer Carbonsports is auctioning a Lightweight front wheel used by Erik Zabel in the 2006 Tour de France; all proceeds from the auction of the auction will be used to fund development of young riders in the Seerose cycling club.

However, this isn't just any Lightweight wheel - it's truly battle scarred. Zabel used the wheel in the Tour until stage 14 when he was involved in a crash with Nicolas Jalabert. Jalabert's rear derailleur got caught in the spokes and broke several of them, rendering the wheel unusable. It's therefore very much a collector's item for aficionados of gear that's been trashed in the heat of competition!

At the time of writing, bidding stands at €351.

To see the wheel and bid, got to eBay.