Zabriskie was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from Olympus High School in 1997, and made his professional debut with the Colorado Cyclist team in 1999.
After displaying his talent for time trials by winning the US National Time Trial Championships (junior and under-23 age categories) and the Grand Prix des Nations (under-23 category), Zabriskie moved on to the U.S. Postal Service team in 2001.

Zabriskie seriously injured his left leg and wrist in 2003 while descending Mill Creek Canyon near Salt Lake City when a vehicle pulled into his lane and collided with him.
 Upon announcing his retirement in 2013, Zabriskie stated that the injury to his leg still bothered him and indicated it contributed to his decision to retire.
  Following a year of rehabilitation, he returned to form in 2004, winning the Elite US National Time Trial Championships.
He also won stage 11 of the Vuelta a España in a 162 km solo breakaway, marking his first Grand Tour stage win—especially notable among his victories for not being a time trial.
In the 2005 season Zabriskie switched to Team CSC, where he racked up another Grand Tour stage victory by winning the 8th stage of the 2005 Giro d'Italia.

Despite success on the international cycling scene, Zabriskie did not receive much attention in his native United States until the 2005 Tour de France, when he won the stage 1 time trial, making him the first American to win stages in all three Grand Tours.
 Zabriskie beat Lance Armstrong by two seconds clocking an average speed of 54.676 km/h.
He wore the leader's yellow jersey until the team time trial on stage 4, where he crashed within the final two kilometres, a crash determined as a chain slip though Zabriskie himself did not know what had happened.
After the crash, Zabriskie suffered from his injuries and on stage 8, he arrived last, 51'12" after winner Pieter Weening.
Zabriskie abandoned the race in the 9th stage after 11 km.
Before Zabriskie had fully recovered from his crash in the Tour de France, a swinging glass door at a restaurant injured his hand badly enough to end his 2005 season.
Back home from the Tour de France, Zabriskie was honored in Utah by the declaration of "Dave Zabriskie Day" by the mayors of both Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City.

Zabriskie's 2006 season started out well, with a strong 2nd-place finish in the February stage race Amgen Tour of California, 29 seconds after the winner, countryman Floyd Landis.
He was initially placed 3rd in the April stage race Ford Tour de Georgia, but as he lost time to the favourite riders on the Brasstown Bald mountain stage, he finished 6th place overall.
Dave Zabriskie won two time trials in the Dauphiné Libéré in May, beating Floyd Landis in the prologue by two seconds, and winning Stage 3 by 53 seconds, again ahead of Landis, further proving Zabriskie's outstanding time trialing skills.
Following several mountain stages, including a ride up the Mont Ventoux, Zabriskie finished the race in 32nd place, behind winner Levi Leipheimer.
Upon completing the 2006 Tour de France in 74th place, Zabriskie became the second American behind Christian Vande Velde to finish all three Grand Tours.
Zabriskie was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated from Olympus High School in 1997, and made his professional debut with the Colorado Cyclist team in 1999. After displaying his talent for time trials by winning the US National Time Trial Championships (junior and under-23 age categories) and the Grand Prix des Nations (under-23 category), Zabriskie moved on to the U.S. Postal Service team in 2001.
Zabriskie seriously injured his left leg and wrist in 2003 while descending Mill Creek Canyon near Salt Lake City when a vehicle pulled into his lane and collided with him.  Upon announcing his retirement in 2013, Zabriskie stated that the injury to his leg still bothered him and indicated it contributed to his decision to retire.   Following a year of rehabilitation, he returned to form in 2004, winning the Elite US National Time Trial Championships. He also won stage 11 of the Vuelta a España in a 162 km solo breakaway, marking his first Grand Tour stage win—especially notable among his victories for not being a time trial. In the 2005 season Zabriskie switched to Team CSC, where he racked up another Grand Tour stage victory by winning the 8th stage of the 2005 Giro d'Italia.
Despite success on the international cycling scene, Zabriskie did not receive much attention in his native United States until the 2005 Tour de France, when he won the stage 1 time trial, making him the first American to win stages in all three Grand Tours.  Zabriskie beat Lance Armstrong by two seconds clocking an average speed of 54.676 km/h. He wore the leader's yellow jersey until the team time trial on stage 4, where he crashed within the final two kilometres, a crash determined as a chain slip though Zabriskie himself did not know what had happened. After the crash, Zabriskie suffered from his injuries and on stage 8, he arrived last, 51'12" after winner Pieter Weening. Zabriskie abandoned the race in the 9th stage after 11 km. Before Zabriskie had fully recovered from his crash in the Tour de France, a swinging glass door at a restaurant injured his hand badly enough to end his 2005 season. Back home from the Tour de France, Zabriskie was honored in Utah by the declaration of "Dave Zabriskie Day" by the mayors of both Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City.
Zabriskie's 2006 season started out well, with a strong 2nd-place finish in the February stage race Amgen Tour of California, 29 seconds after the winner, countryman Floyd Landis. He was initially placed 3rd in the April stage race Ford Tour de Georgia, but as he lost time to the favourite riders on the Brasstown Bald mountain stage, he finished 6th place overall. Dave Zabriskie won two time trials in the Dauphiné Libéré in May, beating Floyd Landis in the prologue by two seconds, and winning Stage 3 by 53 seconds, again ahead of Landis, further proving Zabriskie's outstanding time trialing skills. Following several mountain stages, including a ride up the Mont Ventoux, Zabriskie finished the race in 32nd place, behind winner Levi Leipheimer. Upon completing the 2006 Tour de France in 74th place, Zabriskie became the second American behind Christian Vande Velde to finish all three Grand Tours.
David Zabriskie