17-09-2008 17:16:25

Milram captain Erik Zabel was given a special honor before the start of the 17th stage of the 63rd Vuelta a Espana.  The director of the race, Abraham Olano, gave him a special award for his participation in all three Grand Tours this year.  In addition to Zabel, Marzio Bruseghin (Lampre) was honored.  Athletically things didn't go so well for Zabel, who lost his chance at the win because of a defect seven km before the finish.  The victory after 148 km from Zamora to Vallodolid went to Wouter Weylandts (Quick Step) who beat Matti Breschel (CSC-Saxo Bank) and Alexandre Usov (AG2r) in a mass sprint.  Milram's Sebastian Schwager finished 12th and just missed the Top Ten.

 

„It is a great honor to receive an award for my athletic performance and professional attitude,“ said Milram captain Erik Zabel, who finished the stage in the field as 81st after his defect.

 

The two escapees, Pedro Horillo (Rabobank) and Jose Ruiz Sanchez (Andalucia), who attacked after 12 km and built up a lead of 7.30 minutes, had just been caught when a strong side wind together with a small climb broke up the field.  15 km before the finish, the field split and sprinters such as Erik Zabel and Tom Boonen (Quick Step) found themselves in the second half of the field.  They all came together again with nine km to go.

 

 But Erik Zabel's streak of bad luck – which started yesterday when he took the wrong exit on a traffic circle and found himself behind the barriers – continued today.  A flat rear tire seven km before the finish forced him to change bikes.  Together with his Italian team mate Fabio Sabatini, the Milram sprinter reached the end of the field with 2 km to go, but the tempo was too high for him to get to the front.  Instead, Sebastian Schwager tried his luck in the sprint.  In the midst of the more-established rivals, he sprinted to a respectable 12th place.