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RACE REPORTS: PARIS-NICE STAGE 7: SANCHEZ TOPPLES CONTADOR
Road Bike Action & AFP
March 14, 2009
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Sanchez made the stage winning move with 15km to go
(Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez, riding for the Caisse d'Epargne team, won the seventh and penultimate stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race on Saturday to take the leader's yellow jersey from Alberto Contador
Overnight leader Alberto Contador of the Astana team suffered badly over the final four kilometers, the 2007 Tour de France winner losing almost three minutes. Sanchez put pressure on Contador by breaking away 15km from the finish line and eventually came home 50 seconds ahead of Spaniard Antonio Colom, Frank Schleck of Luxembourg and French rider Sylvain Chavanel.
A 10-rider breakaway had built up a three-and-a-half minute lead after splitting from the peloton at the 60km mark of the 191km stage. The final one of this group, Slovakia's Martin Velits, was hauled back 30km from the end by the Spanish trio of Contador, Colom and Sanchez, the latter biding his time before pulling clear.
 Sanchez takes the leader's yellow jersey with only one day remaining (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
After the stage Sanchez struggled up the podium stairs suffering from leg cramps. Despite winning with a solo attack, Sanchez had high praise for his team saying, "I really want to thank my team today. I was definitely looking forward to the high mountains." Sanchez also spoke well of countryman Contador. "It is too bad for him, he had a bad day. I hope he can recover well." Luis Leon Sanchez added, "I don't know what happened to him. When we were riding together in the final climb he didn't tell me anything which indicated a problem. "We get on well but we are also adversaries. It's good to have the leader's jersey but the race is not over yet."
 Contador had a bad day and lost almost 3 minutes (Photo: Roberto Bettini)
Contador cleared up the question mark over his lack of power in the closing kilometres, blaming a misjudged dietary approach. "It wasn't an easy race to control and I had put a lot of effort in early on," the Spaniard said. "The pace was very fast right from the start and I forgot to eat and drink correctly. My body just had nothing left and my sole aim was to get across the line."
Sanchez, 25, now stands 1:09min clear of Chavanel in the overall standings, with Contador, last year's Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain winner, at 1:50min. In sunny conditions, the stage was marked by a large number of riders pulling out, including reigning Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez of Spain.
Sunday sees the riders attacking the 8th and final stage, a 119km run which starts in the mountains north of Nice.
67th Paris-Nice, March 8-15, 2009
Stage 7, Manosque to Fayence: 191 km
March 14, 2009
1. Luis Leon Sanchez (SPA) Caisse d'Epargne 4.43.34 (40.414 km/h)
2. Antonio Colom (SPA) Team Katusha at 50sec
3. Frank Schleck (LUX) Team Saxo Bank s.t.
4. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Quick Step s.t.
5. Jens Voigt (GER) Team Saxo Bank at 56sec
6. David Moncoutie (FRA) Cofidis at 1.31
7. Hubert Dupont (FRA) AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
8. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (BEL) Silence-Lotto s.t.
9. Christophe Moreau (FRA) Agritubel s.t.
10. Amaël Moinard (FRA) Cofidis s.t.
General Classification After Stage 7
1. Luis Leon Sanchez (SPA) Caisse d'Epargne 28.05.45
2. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Quick Step at 1.09
3. Frank Schleck (LUX) Team Saxo Bank at 1.21
4. Alberto Contador (SPA) Astana at 1.50
5. Jens Voigt (GER) Team Saxo Bank at 1.59
6. Antonio Colom (SPA) Team Katusha at 2.16
7. Kevin Seeldrayers (BEL) Quick Step at 2.29
8. Jonathan Hivert (FRA) Skil-Shimano at 2.57
9. Yury Trofimov (RUS) BBox Bouygues Telecom at 3.37
10. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA) Française Des Jeux at 4.00
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