Lombardi On Zabriskie

Bobby Julich is tipping him as the next big thing, and maillot jaune Dave Zabriskie has already earned the respect of his other team-mates too. At 36, CSC's Giovanni Lombardi is one of the most experienced riders in the peloton. The Italian sprinter, who is in his 13th year as a pro told Cyclingnews about his perception of Zabriskie.

"He's a really down to earth guy; very simpatico," said Lombardi. "Zabriskie has fit in really well with our team and I think he has found people that want to see him do well on CSC. Me, David, Basso and Piil just did a training camp together in Tuscany and we really worked well together. He likes to joke around, but when he's on the bike he's a very serious professional."