Zabel wins second stage of Tour de Suisse
World number one Erik Zabel pipped his compatriot Sven Teutenberg at the post in a mass sprint finish to win the second stage of the Tour de Suisse.
The German cyclist won the 191-kilometre stretch from Schaffhausen to Ems in a time of four hours, 15 minutes and 20 seconds picking up a subsequent ten second bonus.
Italy’s Dario Peiri came in third with fellow Italian Salvatore Commesso in fourth.
However, Frenchman Eddy Lembo retained the leader’s yellow jersey ahead of Friday’s tough mountain stage, which could prove significant for the overall standings.
Struggling through a continuing heatwave, Zabel and several Team Telekom teammates broke away from the pack ten kilometres from the end, only to be caught a few hundred meters from the line by Teutenberg, his Phonak rival.
But Zabel managed to thrust his front wheel over the line in the mass finish, to clinch his 11th stage victory of the season and 152nd overall. He has won five previous stages at the Tour de Suisse.
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