VARESE, Italy, Sept 26, 2008 (AFP) – German sprint great Erik Zabel, a former six-time winner of the Tour de France green jersey, will retire in early October, his professional road team Milram announced on Friday.

“I’ve had a lot of fun this season and managed to keep my main rivals on their toes. But I don’t know if I can do it for another season, so I think it’s the right time to stop,” Zabel was quoted as saying in the team statement.

Zabel will compete for the last time in Munster, Germany on October 3.

Throughout the 1990s as the main sprinter for the Telekom team made famous by Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich, Zabel won most of his total 12 stages from the race, where he won the points competition’s green jersey six times.

Zabel, 38, has also won the Milan-San Remo classic four times.

He is due to hold a press conference later on Friday here at the world road race championships.

FACT FILE
Erik Zabel
Date of birth: July 7, 1970
Place of birth: Berlin
Height: 1.76 m
Weight: 69 kg

Teams: Telekom (1993 – 2003) then T-Mobile (2004 – 2005), Milram (2006 -
2008)

Principal wins
One-day races:
Milan-San Remo 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001
Paris-Tours 1994, 2003, 2005, Amstel Gold Race 2000, HEW-Cyclassics 2001
German championship 1998, 2003
Tour de Berne 1993, Classic Haribo 1994, Tour de Cologne 1996 and 2004, Trophy Luis-Puig 1997, 2000 and 2001, GP de l’Escaut 1997, Tour de Berlin 1997, GP de Frankfurt 1999, 2002 and 2005.
World Cup series champion 2000

Major Tours:
Tour de France: 12 stages; two in 1995 (Charleroi, Bordeaux), two in 1996 (Nogent/Oise, Gap), three in 1997 (Plumelec, Bordeaux, Pau), one in 2000 (Troyes), three in 2001 (Boulogne-sur-Mer, Seraing, Evry), one in 2002 (Alencon). Points competition 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 (record). Two days in yellow jersey (1998, 2002)
Tour of Spain: Nine stages; Three in 2001, two in 2003, one in 2004, two in 2006, one in 2007.