In short
| Stage winner | Luis-Leon SANCHEZ |
 (yellow jersey) |
Davide REBELLIN |
 (green jersey) |
Franco PELLIZOTTI |
 (red polka dot jersey) |
Thomas VOECKLER |
 (white jersey) |
Alberto CONTADOR |
Starters' list | Time schedules
All classifications
| Stage |
|---|
 |
• Individual time• Individual points • Best young • Best climber • Best team |
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| Overall |
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• Individual time• Individual points • Best young • Best climber • Best team |
Stage by stage
| P | Sunday 11 March | 4.7 km |
| Issy-les-Moulineaux > Issy-les-Moulineaux | ||
| 1 | Monday 12 March | 186 km |
| Cloyes-sur-le-Loir > Buzançais | ||
| 2 | Tuesday 13 March | 177 km |
| Vatan > Limoges | ||
| 3 | Wednesday 14 March | 215.5 km |
| Limoges > Maurs la Jolie | ||
| 4 | Thursday 15 March | 169.5 km |
| Maurs la Jolie > Mende | ||
| 5 | Friday 16 March | 178 km |
| Sorgues > Manosque | ||
| 6 | Saturday 17 March | 200 km |
| Brignoles > Cannes | ||
| 7 | Sunday 18 March | 129.5 km |
| Nice > Nice | ||
| Total Length | 1260.2 km | |
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The race
Saturday 17 March 2007| stage 6 | Brignoles > Cannes - 200 km |
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Rebellin survives Spanish challenge
Spain’s Luis Sanchez survived a long and brilliant breakaway to beat all the favourites and win the first major victory of his young career. A member of the six-man group which raced in front all day on the nine climbs in this 200 kms sixth stage between Brignoles and Cannes, Sanchez, 23, outwitted all his rivals for a superb victory. But despite many attempts to topple him, Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) calmly retained his overall lead one day before the finish, with a six-second edge over Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel), who attacked in vain in the finale. Sanchez is now third, 16 seconds adrift. France’s Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), in front on top of most hills today, took the king of the mountains polka-dot jersey.
The film of the stage
Paris-Nice Stage 6
Brignoles-Cannes (200 kms)
145 riders at the start.
Sprints of the day:
Km 25 – Tavernes
Km 165 – Montauroux
Climbs of the day
Km 5 – Cote de Real Martin (3rd cat)
Km 73.5 – Cote de Taradeau (2nd cat)
Km 88 – Cote des Tuillieres (2nd cat)
Km 96.5 – Cote de Saint-Andrieux (2nd cat)
Km 103.5 – Col du Defens (2nd cat)
Km 117.5 – Col de St Arnoux (3rd cat)
Km 138.5 – Col de Bourigaille (1st cat)
Km 143 – Cote de Mons (3rd cat)
Km 180 – Col du Tanneron (2nd cat)
Jittery start
The start was given at 9:59 to 145 riders. Velasco (Euskaltel), Florencio (Bouygues Telecom), and Ventoso (Saunier Duval) did not start. Attempts took place straightaway and the first climb of the day, the Cote de Real Martin (km 5) saw Sinkewitz (T-Mobile) lead Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne) and Posthuma (Rabobank). Three other riders – Burghardt (T-Mobile), Pauriol (Credit Agricole) and Wielinga (Saunier Duval) - joined them but the break was quickly tamed. The peloton was extremely jittery with atrempts by Flecha, Gilbert and Chavanel, all quickly reined in. Chavanel (Cofidis) won the sprint of Tavernes (km 25) ahead of Pineau and Julich.
The first serious break took place at kilometre 33 and included several big names: Chavanel, Levi Leipheimer and Tom Danielson (both Discovery Channel), Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Luis Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) and Christian Vandevelde (Team-CSC).
Six top the bill
The break gained momentum and reached the minute at kilometre 50. Many abandons took place in the first hour, in which 47.8 kms were covered, including those of polka-dot jersey holder Haussler (Gerolsteiner) and Nazon (AG2R), winner of the 1st stage in Buzancais.
In the Cote de Taradeau (2nd cat, km 73.5), the lead reached 2:15 and Voeckler was ahead Chavanel and Danielson at the top.
Climbs followed one another in rapid succession and the break lost a little bit of time. Voeckler was first at the top of the Cote des Tuillieres (2nd cat, km 88) ahead of Chavanel and Danielson. The bunch was 1:40 behind. In the Col de St Andrieux (2nd cat, km 96.5), Voeckler was again in front, ahead of Danielson and Sanchez. The Frenchman was at this stage the new leader of the best climber’s classification.
Voeckler takes polka-dot jersey
In the Col du Defens (2nd cat, km 103.5) Voeckler again topped the bill, ahead of Leipheimer and Danielson. The break regained confidence as the lead was 2:00 over the peloton at the top. Three Bouygues Telecom riders – Rous, Crosbie and Lefevre, quit at that stage after working hard to bring back Fedrigo. In all, the first five hills of the day claimed 15 scalps.
Voeckler continued his sweep of points on the Col de St Arnoux (3rd cat, km 177.5) at the expense of Chavanel and Sanchez. The peloton was 2:00 adrift.
The hardest climb of the day was the 1st category Col de Bourigaille (km 138.5). Rebellin and his Gerolsteiner team-mates decidedly took the reins of the bunch but the escapees resisted well. At the top, Voeckler preceded Danielson and Sanchez to pick ten more points. The main pack, led by Gerolsteiner’s Russ, reached the top 1:40 adrift. The 3rd category Cote de Mons followed and again crowned Voeckler ahead of the Discovery Channel duo. The gap was 1:50.
Contador tests Rebellin
The chase was more efficient in the descent – 1:10 gap at kilometre 156 - and Chavanel, who had started the day’s break, decided to take his chance. The Frenchman won the last intermediate sprint in Montauroux (km 165) and continued on his own, dropping his former companions. Chavanel tackled the Tanneron (2nd cat, km 180) on his own with a 52 seconds lead. Luis Sanchez was the only one to resist. As the peloton swallowed the former escapees, Alberto Contador (Discovery Channel) attacked, followed by David Lopez Garcia (Caisse d’Epargne). The two Spaniards caught Sanchez and Chavanel on the Tanneron. Ath the top of the last climb of the day, Contador came first ahead of Lopez-Garcia and Sanchez. But the gap remained slim (around 20 seconds) with race leader Rebellin. Despite a speedy descent, Contador was unable to widen the gap (18 seconds).
Chavanel was dropped with 6 kms to go, leaving a Spanish trio to battle it out for stage victory. Their lead reached 35 seconds but Contador paid for his efforts and was unable to react when Sanchez surged, five kilometres from the finish line, never to be seen again. The peloton finally caught Contador and Lopez-Garcia and Davide Rebellin retained his overall lead.
The winner interview
Rebellin: “Contador is not my only rivalâ€
DAVIDE REBELLIN:How tough was it today?
It was tough with that many climbs. But my team worked very well. In the final climb, there was a great cooperation with the other teams like CSC or Liquigas. I’m tired, but I’m not the only one.
Contador was very strong today.
Yes, I think he is currently the best rider in the climbs. But there are many other riders who are not far in the overall standings and which I must keep an eye on. Contador is not my only rival.
It will be another hard stage tomorrow.
Yes. It’s another tough course tomorrow and of course I can expect more attacks from Contador and the Discovery Channel in general. But hopefully, I will manage.
LUIS SANCHEZ:
First of all I’d like to thank my Caisse d’Epargne team-mates who made this possible. I was feeling great today on a demanding and hilly course which suits my qualities. Tomorrow’s stage should be very interesting.
The newsflashes
Top five placings
1. Luis Sanchez (Spain, Caisse d’Epargne)
2. Mirco Lorenzetto (Italy, Milram)
3. Jerome Pineau (France, Bouygues Telecom)
4. Franco Pellizotti (Italy, Liquigas)
5. Samuel Dumoulin (France, AG2R)