Key moments

The Montagne de Lure was untrue to its name. As planned, Alberto Contador (Astana) claimed back the yellow jersey he had held after winning the first stage in Amilly thanks to another climbing lesson in the 1st category climb overlooking Forcalquier.
The Spaniard won the 182.5-kms 6th stage on his own after surging six kilometres from the top of the 1,600-metres-high mountain.
Contador, the 2007 Paris-Nice winner, crossed the line with a 58 seconds lead over Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck and Spain’s Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) .
France’s Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step), who had nicked the yellow jersey from the Spaniard in the third stage in Vichy, fought bravely but finished 1:49 behind.
He still managed to retain third place overall, 1:24 behind the 2007 Tour de France winner and nine seconds behind Sanchez.

Nine men go

The start was given at 11:32 to 147 riders. Five men attacked after four kilometres. Mickael Delage (Silence Lotto), Javier Aramendia (Euskaltel), Romain Feillu (Agritubel), Niki Terpstra (Milram), Cyril Lemoine (Skil Shimano) were chased and finally caught by Christophe Riblon (AG2R), Alan Perez (Euskaltel) and Sebastien Turgot (BBox Bouygues) after 13 kilometres. The 5th stage winner, Jeremy Roy (FD Jeux) chased behind the eight and joined them after 33 kms.

Voeckler crashes

At Ste Cecile-des-Vignes, Thomas Voeckler (BBox Bouygues Telecom) crashed heavily and was forced out with a collarbone fracture. The break quickly gained momentum and reached five minutes at the first sprint in Rasteau (km 24.5), won by Riblon, and a maximum of 6:25 at kilometre 30.
Alberto Contador’s Astana team-mates took the peloton’s reins and the gap decreased. At the top of the Cote de Pas-du-Ventoux (Km 51.5, 2nd cat), the lead of the nine had gone down to 3:35. Roy was first at the top of the climb and also on the next hill, the Cote des Ferrassieres (2nd cat, km 78).

Roy reined-in

Team Columbia took over the chase to protect Tony Martin’s polka-dot jersey and the lead melted to 1:20 at kilometre 100. When Roy stopped his effort to wait for the bunch, the chase eased and the gap went up again.
In the meantime, Simon Spilak (Lampre) called it quits as did Jose Luis Arrieta (AG2R) and Sebastien Chavanel (FD Jeux), both in the feeding zone (km 90). Astana took over the reins and regularly reduced the gap with the eight leaders on the two 3rd category climbs before the finale.

Martin collect points

The eight escapees were caught one after the other in Forcalquier, 30 kms before the finish line. Green jersey holder Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre) took third place in the sprint in Forcalquier (km 155.5) behind Feillu and Heinrich Haussler (Cervelo) to retain his green jersey.
On the junction, Tony Martin surged to collect four points on the Cote des Mourres (158.5 km) and strengthen his polka-dot jersey.

Unbeatable Contador

At the start of the last climb, Sebastien Joly (FDJeux) tried his luck but was quickly tamed. Euskaltel led the peloton at the start of the climb as the main group kept losing riders.
Jens Voigt in turn attacked with 11 kms to go.
Contador was prompt to counter-attack, first with Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Antonio Colom (Katusha), then on his own as he surged with 6 kms to go.
Yellow jersey holder Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step) was quickly dropped as a group comprising Cadel Evans (Silence Lotto), Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel), Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne), David Moncoutie (Cofidis) and Schleck chased, some 35 seconds behind.
In the last three kilometres, Schleck and Leon Sanchez joined forces behind the 2007 Paris-Nice winner to take the podium places, 58 seconds behind the Spaniard, who became the first professional winner at the top of the Montagne de Lure.

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It was a very hard climb. But the team is good and stuck to the plan. We controlled the race well. I suffered in the last four kilometres and gave it my all because I knew there were two dangerous riders behind me. But eventually I managed to make the difference.
The last two days are going to be very hard and we must be on our guard because I’m tired like everybody else. For now I’m only happy to have taken the yellow jersey back. Tomorrow is another day.

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