T-Mobile’s Erik Zabel said Friday that he enters the 84th edition of Paris-Tours on Sunday with mixed emotions, realizing that it will be his last event racing under the magenta colors of a team he’s been part of for 13 years.

The 35-year-old Zabel said Friday that it was “almost beyond comprehension” that he would be riding for another team – the German/Italian Milram squad – after being part of the Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile program since its inception.

“For a long time, I couldn’t even imagine having to find a new team after 13 years in the same program,” he said.

Zabel said it was only after T-Mobile overlooked him for a spot on the Tour de France team that he even considered looking around. Zabel has ridden in 11 Tours de France, won 12 stages and earned the green points jersey six times in his career.

The German sprinter, who has also won two editions of Paris-Tours (1994 and 2003), had generated some controversy in his home country last month when he spoke of his frustration riding on a team that has solely focused its efforts on trying to win a second Tour for Jan Ullrich. Ullrich won the Tour in 1997 and has finished on the podium in every successive attempt, except in 2004 when he finished fourth. Zabel said the team had "missed many opportunities" because of its single-minded - and unsuccessful - efforts.

Zabel and his new teammate, Alessandro Petacchi, at this year's world's in Madrid

Photo: AFP (file photo)

"Still, I leave with a lot of good memories and a good number of friends," Zabel noted.

Zabel, who has 191 professional victories to his credit, appears poised to play a support role in the lead-out train of Alessandro Petacchi, who is also joining Milram next season.

Zabel has inked a three-year deal with the team that will replace Domina Vacanze on the ProTour roster. Part of the agreement is that – barring illness or injury – Zabel is guaranteed a spot on the team’s Tour de France roster.

"I have the possibility of starting fresh with a new team and offering some of my own experience to my new teammates,” Zabel said. “I’m excited at that prospect.”

The 84th edition of Paris-Tours
Distance: 253.5 km.
Start: Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines (Yvelines) at 11:00 a.m.
Finish: Tours at approximately 5:20 p.m.
Teams:
(ProTour teams)
Gerolsteiner
T-Mobile
QuickStep
Davitamon-Lotto
CSC
Euskaltel
Illes Baleares
Liberty
Saunier Duval
Discovery Channel
Bouygues Telecom
Cofidis
Credit Agricole
Francaise des Jeux
Domina Vacanze
Fassa Bortolo
Lampre
Liquigas
Rabobank
Phonak
(Wildcard invitees)
AG2R
Agritubel
R.A.G.T.
Landbouwkrediet
MrBookmaker.com
 
Favorites:
Robbie McEwen (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto
Erik Zabel (G), T-Mobile
Thor Hushovd (N), Credit Agricole
Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp), Fassa Bortolo
Max Van Heeswijk (Nl), Discovery
Magnus Backstedt (S), Liquigas
 
Notable absentees:
Tom Boonen (B), QuickStep
Alessandro Petacchi (I), Fassa Bortolo
Paolo Bettini (I), QuickStep
Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank
Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Cofidis
Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre
Erik Dekker (Nl), Rabobank
Jakob Piil (Dk), CSC
Alexandre Vinokourov (G), T-Mobile
 
Recent winners
1994: Erik Zabel (G)
1995: Nicola Minali (I)
1996: Nicola Minali (I)
1997: Andrei Tchmil (Rus)
1998: Jacky Durand (F)
1999: Marc Wauters (B)
2000: Andrea Tafi (I)
2001: Richard Virenque (F)
2002: Jakob Piil (Dk)
2003: Erik Zabel (G)
2004: 1. Erik Dekker (Nl)
         2. Danilo Hondo (G)
         3. Oscar Freire (Sp)
         4. Allan Davis (Aus)
         5. Stuart O'Grady(Aus)