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| | Saturday, 22 July, 2000, 16:48 GMT 17:48 UK Zabel: The green man Zabel's last win before Saturday was back in 1997 Erik Zabel is cycling's Mr Consistency, and the German who has set a new Tour de France record by taking his fifth green jersey is set for further glory this year. The Tour de France's maillot vert - awarded to the most consistent finisher in all 21 stages - is one of cycling's most coveted prizes. Winning it five years in a row singles out Germany's Erik Zabel as the most consistent Tour rider in a decade. He is also one of cycling's nice guys, and his wins have made a perfect family album since each year he takes his son onto the Paris podium in his own green jersey.
During his reign he has stood on the Paris podium alongside four different yellow jersey winners, with Lance Armstrong the only overall winner to retain his prize during this era. The German turned 30 during this year's Tour and was finally able to celebrate with a stage win into Troyes on the final weekend, his first in the race since 1997. Taking the record of four-time green jersey winner Sean Kelly is a great achievement, particularly if Zabel also confirms his status as the best one-day rider of the year later this season.
Ireland's Kelly - cycling's Mr Consistency during the 1980s - was the first winner of the prize in 1989. Midway through this season Zabel's lead is so dominant that he is set to emulate the Irishman's double as well as take his Tour record. Such a feat would have been unthinkable for the young sprinter who failed to finish his first Tour in 1994.
He took two stages a year later, a couple more along with the green jersey in 1996 and three plus the famous garment one further year on. But when he started his run in green Zabel was a pure sprinter rather than a one-day classic rider. The two disciplines are different. A Tour sprinter knows that the whole bunch is likely to stay together during most of the flat stages. Meanwhile Zabel has proved that he can also cope with the wind, the hills and the cobbled roads of the one-day scene, and he has been wonderfully consistent this season.
It raised suspicions that a fifth Tour green jersey was not as important to a man who has discovered his one-day legs. But Zabel has proved the critics wrong and looks set to emulate Kelly's double with some ease. Such an all-round improvement has, however, come at a cost.
Comparisons with the Irishman were all too obvious for Zabel, and before the Troyes win, depressing too. The German came close to winning three jerseys without a stage win, just as Kelly did after 1982. The reason is clear enough: Better climbing and solo riding means that Zabel's speed is now not quite what it once was. Riders like Mario Cipollini and Tom Steels have proved faster to the line but have never challenged over the three weeks.
But perhaps he deserved a more straightforward July after his hard work during the spring, which began with a victory in Australia last January. And Zabel may be thankful for the easier ride if he is wearing the World Cup crown - and maybe an Olympic medal - after the Tour of Lombardy in October. | | See also:  28 Jun 00 | Tour de France 30 Jun 00 | Tour de France 28 Jun 00 | Tour de France 28 Jun 00 | Tour de France 22 Jul 00 | Tour de France Top Tour de France stories now: Links to more Tour de France stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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