Zabel eyeing home win

Now 36, Zabel has lost some of the speed that brought him six consecutive Tour de France green jerseys at the end of the 1990s, and he found himself consistently beaten by the likes of Robbie McEwen and Thor Hushovd in this year's "grande boucle."

Rumours have persisted regarding a possible retirement, though the German has given no indication yet that he is ready to quit.

Zabel was narrowly edged out in the Cyclassics event last weekend by Rabobank's Oscar Freire (left), though the Spaniard is absent from the Tour of Germany, along with rivals Robbie McEwen, Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd.

This could open the door for the man they call 'Ete' to seal the 203rd win of his professional career.

Breakaways are likely to come from the likes of Liquigas' Dario Andriotto and CSC's Jens Voigt, though with just two third-category climbs on an otherwise flat stage, a mass sprint at the end of the 198 kilometre stretch looks likely.