The 43-year-old from East Berlin told newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung how he had used illegal methods and banned substances between 1996 and 2003 before retiring in 2008.

Zabel, who won 12 stages of the Tour de France and eight stages of the Vuelta a España and twice finished runner-up in the World Roard Race Championships, confessed to using Erythropoietin (EPO) and cortisone.

He contacted the UCI President Pat McQuaid today to offer his resignation from the PCC, which helps govern professional road cycling.

"The International Cycling Union has announced that the former sprint cyclist Erik Zabel has resigned from the Professional Cycling Council," said a UCI statement.

"He contacted the UCI President earlier today to offer his resignation and to further express his 'deep regret' for having lied for so long about taking performance enhancing substances.

"Erik Zabel said that cycling is now in a cleaner era, however he is no longer the right person to be a part of the Professional Cycling Council."

Zabel had admitted in 2007 using EPO before the Tour de France in 1996 but claimed he had only experimented with it for a week before he stopped using it. 

But the former Team Telekom decided to confess after his name appeared on a list of riders who allegedly used EPO during the 1998 Tour de France published by the French Senate last week. 

Germany's Erik Zabel has now admitted to long-term doping during his career having previously claimed that he had only experimented with EPO for a week in 1996

"It was doping for many years," Zabel told Suddeutsche Zeitung.

"I never had a structured doping plan, never had any experts around me.

"I never saw myself as a super doper.

"When you take everything together - EPO, cortisone and even blood doping, then it's quite a lot."

Stuart O'Grady, another rider named in the French Senate report, was sacked by the Australian Olympic Committee from its Athletes' Commission after he admitted doping. 

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