Paris-Nice Final Stage Results

Revealed as the best young rider in the Race to the Sun in 2006, Luis Leon Sanchez won the 67th Paris-Nice race on Sunday, proving he had come of age and reached a new stage in his career.

The 119 km final stage around Nice, with its three classic climbs - Col de la Porte, La Turbie and Col d’Eze, was as exciting as the race had been since the start in Amilly thanks to Alberto Contador, who launched a brave but unsuccessful attempt to salvage his pride after losing the yellow jersey to Sanchez the previous day. The 2007 Paris-Nice and Tour de France winner attacked at the foot of the Col de la Porte and stayed in the front until the Col d’Eze. In the long descent towards Nice, he was joined by Antonio Colom, who won the final stage ahead of him, and Frank Schleck, whose Saxo Bank teammates led the chase all day.

Winner of the first and 6th stage, Contador was the main animator of this year’s race but Sanchez amply deserved his victory with a one-minute lead over Schleck and 1:09 over Sylvain Chavanel, who was unlucky to see his chain snap in the last descent.

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Final General Classification:

1. SANCHEZ Luis-Leon 68 CAISSE D’EPARGNE 30h 53′ 51″
2. SCHLECK Frank 81 TEAM SAXO BANK 30h 54′ 51″ + 01′ 00″
3. CHAVANEL Sylvain 41 QUICK STEP 30h 55′ 00″ + 01′ 09″
4. CONTADOR Alberto 51 ASTANA 30h 55′ 15″ + 01′ 24″
5. COLOM Antonio 141 TEAM KATUSHA 30h 55′ 38″ + 01′ 47″
6. VOIGT Jens 88 TEAM SAXO BANK 30h 55′ 50″ + 01′ 59″
7. SEELDRAYERS Kevin 46 QUICK STEP 30h 56′ 20″ + 02′ 29″
8. HIVERT Jonathan 191 SKIL-SHIMANO 30h 56′ 48″ + 02′ 57″
9. TROFIMOV Yury 137 BBOX BOUYGUES TELECOM 30h 57′ 28″ + 03′ 37″
10. LE MEVEL Christophe 76 FRANCAISE DES JEUX 30h 57′ 51″ + 04′ 00″