page_title: Erik Zabel
section_title: 2003–2005: Vuelta success and podium places
hierarchical_section_title: Erik Zabel / Professional career / 2003–2005: Vuelta success and podium places
caption_attribution_description: Erik Zabel bei der Deutschland Meisterschaft 2004 in Freiburg
context_page_description: Erik Zabel is a German former professional road bicycle racer who last raced with Milram. With 152 professional wins and 211 wins in his career, he is considered by some to be one of the greatest German cyclists and cycling sprinters of all-time. Zabel won a record nine points classifications in grands tours including the points classification in the Tour de France six consecutive years between 1996 and 2001 and the points classification in the Vuelta a España in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Zabel won the Milan–San Remo four times and numerous six-day track events. He was one of the few road cyclists of recent times who raced all year, including track cycling in winter. For season 2012 he joined Team Katusha as sprint coach. He previously held that same position with the HTC–Highroad team until their dissolution. Zabel admitted to doping from 1996 to 2004.
context_section_description: In 2003 he became national road champion of Germany for a second time, but failed to win a stage in the Tour de France and was third in the final points classification. He won two stages in the Vuelta and again won the points classification of the race. In October he won Paris–Tours for the second time in his career and was awarded the unofficial Ruban Jaune for winning the race in a record average speed for a one-day race of 47.55 km per hour. The record stood until 2010 when Óscar Freire won Paris–Tours riding at an average of speed of 47.73 km per hour. He ended the year as number two on the world ranking behind Paolo Bettini.
  In 2004 Zabel began the season losing what would have been his fifth Milan–San Remo. He looked secure to win the sprint, but lifted his arms to celebrate too early and was ultimately foiled by Óscar Freire. He was third in the points classification of the Tour de France and first in the Vuelta points classification, but despite numerous second and third places, he didn't win a stage. His first place in the Vuelta was also his ninth win in a points classification of a grand tour, an all-time record. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, he was again fourth in the road race, again winning the sprint behind three escapees and so missing an olympic medal twelve years after Barcelona. In October, after 9 victories and 18 second places throughout the season, he ended the year as he had begun it: second behind Freire, this time in the world championship in Verona.
  In 2005 Zabel became the first to win Rund um den Henninger-Turm in Frankfurt a third time, in his first win on the season. In May he participated for the first time in his career in the Giro d’Italia, seeking the only points classification he had not yet won, but failed to win a stage and was sixth in the points ranking. His Telekom Team, keen on winning the Tour de France with Jan Ullrich, decided not to include him in the selection for that year's Tour, much to the discontent of Zabel, who declared at the start of the HEW Cyclassics that he would be leaving the team at the end of the year. He rode the Vuelta, but was unable to win a stage or the points classification despite multiple second places behind Alessandro Petacchi, and played no role in the World Championship in Madrid. In October he won Paris–Tours a third time, equalling the record in the classic of Gustave Danneels, Paul Maye and Guido Reybroeck.
caption: Zabel in the national road championship, 2004
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