Zabel sprints to his second stage win

Telekom rider Erik Zabel notched up his second stage win of the Mallorca Challenge when he won yesterday's 163 kilometre third stage. The German cyclist said on Sunday after winning the first stage that he had been motivated by the number of Germans on the island supporting him and this was probably the case yesterday with the stage ending in Cala Rajada. Pedro Diaz of the Jazztel team struck after the 41st kilometre when he broke from the peleton and forged a three minute lead by the 60 kilometre mark. Diaz reached the 100 kilometre mark seven minutes ahead of the pack, but 33 kilometres later the group had reeled him back in. A couple of riders, Barbero and Garate, tried to catch out the peleton in the last 30 kilometres but both failed to make any ground before the group swallowed them up, while Festina's J.Carlos Vicario and Banesto's Alberto Benito took nasty falls towards the end of the stage. The group rode into Cala Rajada all together with Zabel beating off compatriot Sven Teutenberg of the Festina team and Australia's Robbie McEwen of the Domo-Farm Frites team in the sprint.