Erik Zabel - the best sprinter?

[bikenrunnwt]

I would say Zabel was the most consistent sprinter of his era, but Cippo was probably the best sprinter of the two. Zabel was also a much better all around rider.

I would also agree that Abdu was the most entertaining sprinter! Going back to the 90's I also liked Jeroen Blijlevens and Marcel Wust (even though he only seemd to shine in the Vuelta!).

 

[toppermost]

Freire is nothing lke Cavendish or McEwen! He is more like Jalabert. Boonen is closer to these guys too.

 

[BikeCentric]

Tom Steels. And he and I will throw water bottles at your face if you disagree.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'll pick Erik too. Overall. He could field sprint with the best, though he got a lot of 2nds, yes. He also won classics, and stages and races that weren't pancake flat, as he could climb fairly well. People need to look back at his early years when he often rode ahead of the autobus to see that he could indeed climb okay. And in later years he was often the one leading the autobus over climbs. I believe he also got 2nd in Maillot Vert points twice as well.

For pure entertainment and speed, I like Cipo. He and Erik were also very clean and safe sprinters.

Abdu was very fast for a couple of years, but probably the most dangerous sprinter I can recall (Bos may get there though if they let him keep riding!). Wilfred Nilson, remember him? He'd put his head down and go, yikes!

Kelly was a great sprinter, but more of an all rounder. He climbed quite well actually. Keep in mind that Sean kept trying to win GT's, not just show up for the maillot vert. But Sean also would have had 5 green jerseys if the organizers would not have let Vanderarden hold on to car door handles up all the passes in 1986, while Sean rode them.

Van Poppel was a force in his day. Incredible acceleration, sort of like what we're seeing from Cavendish. Martaens and the others are before my time.

Farrar can definitely sprint, but I think he's going to be more of a classics guy as he matures, not so much of a pure field sprinter. Great photo though.

 

[Zoncolan]

Most consistent for sure, but Super Mario was just that.
I only saw footage of Abdoujaparov, he did look like an animal (and sprinted as one too).
Zabel probably the most likeable of them all.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Zabel probably the most likable of them all.

And Abdu the least. Very ornery guy. Either CyclingNews or VeloNews tried to track him down as he's supposedly coaching somewhere. Found him to be as bitter and cranky as ever. Even the junior riders learning from him said he was like a Soviet drill sergeant, and extremely strict. But from about 1991-1993 he had maybe the fastest burst I ever saw. Had to have been all those cayenne peppers and gunpowder he was mixing in his sports drinks in order to keep his dour expression:

He looks like one of those guys that would have made Khrushchev proud! Unlike Konychev and Ecki, he didn't seem to warm up to the concept of Glasnost and learn how to smile! The guy wasn't called the "Tashkent Terror" for nothing. One of the worst crashes I've ever seen. The overhead is very painful to watch.

Of course, no one tops Fignon, as far as villains go. He was cranky, but educated, and had great aplomb. And oddly congenial and gracious in the off season. I really miss Larry

(Sorry for the diversion there).

 

[Zoncolan]

And Abdu the least. Very ornery guy. Either CyclingNews or VeloNews tried to track him down as he's supposedly coaching somewhere. Found him to be as bitter and cranky as ever. Even the junior riders learning from him said he was like a Soviet drill sergeant, and extremely strict. But from about 1991-1993 he had maybe the fastest burst I ever saw. Had to have been all those cayenne peppers and gunpowder he was mixing in his sports drinks in order to keep his dour expression:

He looks like one of those guys that would have made Khrushchev proud! Unlike Konychev and Ecki, he didn't seem to warm up to the concept of Glasnost and learn how to smile! The guy wasn't called the "Tashkent Terror" for nothing. One of the worst crashes I've ever seen. The overhead is very painful to watch.

Of course, no one tops Fignon, as far as villains go. He was cranky, but educated, and had great aplomb. And oddly congenial and gracious in the off season. I really miss Larry

(Sorry for the diversion there).

Nevermind. Nice post.
Yeah, his sprinting style makes Robbie McEwen look like a nice boy.
I think he got a worthy heir at the Tour of Turkey though

 

[Andy.G]

Anybody actually seen footage of the Tour of Turkey sprint ?? Got a link, please ?? a photo perhaps ?? I am without any actual imagery at all ...

I may well be totally wrong and will accept all facts offered graciously.

As the written description goes, Bos was on the barriers ?? and he 'grabs' a jersey ?? not 'pushes' a jersey for space (A'la Hincapie - in a sprint in his younger years - got relegated for it) ?? why would ANYBODY pull a jersey when they were against the barriers ?? a f***ing deathwish ??

On the subject at hand ...

Yes, Zabel is the greatest for all your previously stated reasons, for me - his straight up-down headlift power delivery well forward over the center of the bars is a powerful (haha) lesson to show youngsters in training ... Cipo from the overhead shot is just fluid like serpentine tail with an almost-still head ... beautiful to watch ... pure class both of them. Abdu was an outright animal, but a big lesson in using your arms. I do love Robbie's inventiveness and hole-finding ability to position from nowhere - that is pure handling skill and absolute guts - real character stuff. Robbie has a bit of Abdu arms too - that's why he can hold or force position so fearsomely.

So, the lesson so far children .... How to win a bike race :

Turn up to the race like Cipo.

Stay out of the wind. Play the game with photographers when circumstances permit.

Ride into the finish with the character and skill of Robbie to get position, open up the sprint with power delivery and accel like Zabel, finish with the smooth fluidic carry to the line of Cipo ...

Then celebrate like Robbie again ...
(ok, ok or maybe celebrate like Cipo - but beware children, this takes generations of genetically implanted Italian flair and panache - don't try and fake it if you haven't got it naturally !!!)

Then DO NOT speak to the press like Abdu ... or eat raw onions as your team mates will not like you. See Boonen for perfect press etiquette.

Always smile, all the time, like Zabel - people like us will remember you forever for it.

So, any vision of Turkey yet ?? Thankyou.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

We wrote about 15 pages on it with links and all when it happened. Do a search.

 

[Andy.G]

Umm, ah ha ... yess, that would be the rather large thread with all the resources just right there ... Thankyou

If it was a dog, it would have bitten me !!!