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Paris-Nice is in the mountains. Today's 173 kilometres stage between Maurs and Mende finished atop La Croix Neuve - Montée Laurent Jalabert (1st category) after climbing côte de Chabrits (2nd category) and three lesser hills.

The stage followed a rather usual scenario: seven riders escaped after 10 kilometres, and let till close to the finish. The peloton kept them under control, and caught same  at the foot of Montée Laurent Jalabert, when a 60-wheel pack took the lead and fought for the bouquet.

And the winner was twice Tour winner Alberto Contador (Astana) with ten seconds on compatriots Valverde and Sanchez.

Double for Contador who takes the leader's jersey away from Jens Voigt.

Results
1. Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
2. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne at 10?
3. Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
4. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha at 18"
5. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom at 20?
6. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - Farnese Vini at 21?
7. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas - Doimo
8. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux at 29"
9. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
10. Reine Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne at 31"
?
14. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) at 44"
42. Francis De Greef at 1'53"
54. Jurgen Van Den Broeck at 2'23"
87. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) at 4?49?
99. Mickaël Delage (Fra) at 5?48"
106. Jürgen Roelandts at 7?24"
151. Jurgen Van Goolen (Bel) at 11?31?
152. Philippe Gilbert 

Spain’s Alberto Contador secured a Paris-Nice double whammy on Thursday by winning the race’s fourth stage here, becoming the overall leader in the process.

The Astana rider attacked 1700 meters from the line to finish 10 seconds ahead of compatriots Alejandro Valverde and Samuel Sanchez after the 173.5 kilometer ride from Maurs.

Another Spaniard, Joaquim Rodriguez, finished fourth, with Frenchman Thomas Voeckler 18sec off the pace in fifth.

“I didn’t feel great,” said Contador. “It was cold, really very cold, during the stage. I hope the temperature will increase.

“Paris-Nice isn’t over. I even think the hard part is just starting. There are three difficult stages remaining and you shouldn’t forget that Paris-Nice is one of the most difficult races of the season to control.”

Overnight leader Jens Voigt conceded 40 seconds to Contador after falling behind during the grueling 3km climb to the finish line.

In the new overall classification, reigning Tour de France champion Contador is 24 seconds ahead of Valverde.

Contador’s victory was his fifth stage win in the Paris-Nice race and the second time he has won the stage ending in Mende.

His first major professional race victory came with the 2007 Paris-Nice, which laid the foundations for his first Tour de France triumph later that year.

Friday’s fifth stage is a 157km ride south from Pernes-les-Fontaines to Aix-en-Provence. The race finishes in Nice on Sunday.

Results on Thursday of the fourth stage of the Paris-Nice race, a 173.5km ride from Maurs-la-Jolie to Mende:
1. Alberto Contador (ESP/AST) 4hr 26min 47sec,
2. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/GCE) at 10sec,
3. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/EUS) 10,
4. Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP/KAT) 18,
5. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/BTL) 20,
6. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) 21,
7. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/LIQ) 21,
8. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA/FDJ) 29,
9. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/GCE) 29,
10. Rein Taaramae (EST/COF) 31,
11. Jerome Coppel (FRA/SAU) 37,
12. Jens Voigt (GER/SAX) 44,
13. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/QST) 44,
14. Jean-Christophe Peraud (FRA/OLO) 44,
15. Sandy Casar (FRA/FDJ) 44,
16. Volodymir Gustov (UKR/CTT) 44,
17. Nicolas Roche (IRL/ALM) 48,
18. Simon Gerrans (AUS/CTT) 53,
19. Xavier Tondo (ESP/CTT) 56,
20. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ) 58

Overall classification after four stages:
1. Alberto Contador (ESP/AST) 17hr 07min 23sec,
2. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/GCE) at 24sec,
3. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/LIQ) 25,
4. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/GCE) 28,
5. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/EUS) 29,
6. Jens Voigt (GER/SAX) 34,
7.Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP/KAT) 36,
8. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ) 54,
9. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 1min 03sec,
10. Rein Taaramae (EST/COF) 1:06,
11. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/BTL) 1:08,
12. Xavier Tondo (ESP/CTT) 1:14,
13. Jean-Christophe Peraud (FRA/OLO) 1:15,
14. Jerome Coppel (FRA/SAU) 1:16,
15. Nicolas Roche (IRL/ALM) 1:22

Photos by: CorVos Pro

Slovakian youngster Peter Sagan of the Liquigas team won the shortened third stage of the Paris-Nice race in central France here on Wednesday.

Sagan, 20, moved up to second place in the overall standings but Germany’s Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) assumed the leader’s yellow jersey after finishing fourth in the 153-kilometre ride, which had been cut by 50km due to snow.

“I hesitated at the end between wanting to pull clear of the peloton and really trying to win the stage,” said Voigt.

“It was a difficult decision to make. In the end I found myself poorly placed with 500 meters to go and I came fourth. But it’s enough to take the yellow jersey and I’m very happy with that.”

Sagan was one of the revelations of Sunday’s prologue, where he finished fifth, and beat Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez and Ireland’s Nicolas Roche to the line in a sprint finish here.

The trio led home a small group of riders that broke away less than 3km from the finish.

Spain’s Alberto Contador, the reigning Tour de France champion, finished in this six-man group, which also featured Voigt and his countryman Tony Martin.

Contador is now in seventh place in the overall standings, 20 seconds behind Voigt, while overnight leader Lars Boom of the Netherlands slipped to sixth place after being left behind on the final climb.

Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez, meanwhile, was unable to keep pace with Contador when he accelerated in response to an attack from Roche but remains third overall.

The race start, initially set to take place in Saint-Junien, was moved to Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche after heavy snowfall in the region overnight.

Thursday’s fourth stage, a 173.5km ride from Maurs to Mende, concludes with the only hill finish of the race.

Cadel Evans had this to say about the opening stage; “Short but cold start to the ‘race of the two seas’, but to think we were happy to have a dry 6C day, says something about the extended winter Europe is experiencing right now… In the race, it got cold and intense in the final, it seems it was more a finish of who could get into position in the last 2km and hold it rather than an actual ’sprint’ – a hard win anyway, congrats to Gerdemann. It will be interesting how long he can hold the jersey for here; I’m guessing longer than most expect. Another cold but tougher day tomorrow – I’ll be happy if I can continue like this; healthy and in contention….”

Alberto Contador had this to say about the day; The day began with a snowstorm that forced the organization to shorten the stage on 50 kilometers, although the hardness of the day was not reduced too. “It was a day marked by the cold”, Contador confirmed. “They have shortened the race on 50 km due to snow, but at the end we could do the stage, but always marked by the cold”.

“There was a small climb on the end, almost anything”, said Contador, “just over a kilometer, but is that the cold hurt and the group has been cut in several parts”. The leader of Astana, however, was ahead, showing that the blow on the left leg is almost forgotten. “The legs responded quite well for now and I hope tomorrow they will be good too”, said Alberto, referring to the finish in Mende.

“Rather than try, was a matter to avoid lost time”, he said about his performance today. “I was able to do, but in the sprint I\’ve touched a columbia’s rider (Tony Martin) and I had to drag the foot along the road until I came back to get it into the pedal. I hope that those seconds were resolved”, he concluded.

The race start, initially set to take place in Saint-Junien, was moved to Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche after heavy snowfall in the region overnight.

Thursday’s fourth stage, a 173.5km ride from Maurs to Mende, concludes with the only hill finish of the race.

STAGE 3 RESULTS
1. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ), 3hr 44min 28sec,
2. Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP/KAT) same time,
3. Nicolas Roche (IRL/ALM) s.t.,
4. Jens Voigt (GER/SAX) at 02sec,
5. Tony Martin (GER/THR) 02,
6. Alberto Contador (ESP/AST) 02,
7. Mirco Lorenzetto (ITA/LAM) 06,
8. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA/COF) 06,
9. Xavier Florencio (ESP/CTT) 06,
10. Marco Marcato (ITA/VAC) 06,
11. Alexandr Kolobnev (RUS/KAT) 06,
12. Simon Geschke (GER/SKS) 06,
13. Eduard Vorganov (RUS/KAT) 06,
14. Alexandre Botcharov (RUS/KAT) 06,
15. Thierry Hupond (FRA/SKS) 06,
16. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/GCE) 06,
17. Christophe Le Mevel (FRA/FDJ) 06,
18. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/QST) 06,
19. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/LIQ) 06,
20. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/GCE) 06

Overall classification after three stages:
1. Jens Voigt (GER/SAX) 12hr 40min 26sec,
2. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ) at 06,
3. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/GCE) 09,
4. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 12,
5. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/LIQ) 14,
6. Lars Boom (NED/RAB) 20,
7. Alberto Contador (ESP/AST) 20,
8. Levi Leipheimer (USA/RSH) 24,
9. Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP/KAT) 28,
10. Xavier Tondo (ESP/CTT) 28,
11. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/GCE) 30,
12. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/EUS) 33,
13. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/RSH) 34,
14. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) 34,
15. Remi Pauriol (FRA/COF) 37

Voor Lars Boom was de helling in de finale van de derde rit van Parijs-Nice er te veel aan. De Rabo-renner verloor het contact met de eerste groep en verloor een halve minuut. Nieuwe leider is de Duitser Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank), die samen met onder meer Alberto Contador (Astana), Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) en de verrassende Slowaak Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo) die in Aurillac naar de winst spurtte. De voormalig veldrijder en mountainbiker uit Slowakije, die gisteren al naar de tweede plaats spurtte achter Bonnet, staat nu tweede in het klassement, net een plaatsje beter dan zijn ploeggenoot Roman Kreuziger. De rit werd gekleurd door een lange ontsnapping van het trio Huguet (Skil-Shimano), Maes (QuickStep) en Roelandts (Omega Pharma), die van het peloton een maximale vrijgeleide kregen van zeven minuten. In de lastige slotfase werden ze echter teruggepakt, waarna Nicholas Roche op de laatste bult de kat aan de bel bond. Met vooral rampzalige gevolgen voor Lars Boom, die op het beslissende moment moest passen. 1. Peter Sagan (LIQ), 3u44' 28" 2. Joaquim Rodriguez (KAT) 3. Nicolas Roche (ALM) 4. Jens Voigt (SAX), op 2" 5. Tony Martin (HTC) 6. Alberto Contador (AST) 7. Mirco Lorenzetto (LAM), op 6" 8. Samuel Dumoulin (COF) 9. Xavier Florencio (CTT) 10. Marco Marcato (VAC) 11. Alexandr Kolobnev (KAT) 12. Simon Geschke (SKS) 13. Eduard Vorganov (KAT) 14. Alexandre Botcharov (KAT) 15. Thierry Hupond (SKS) 16. Alejandro Valverde (GCE) 17. Christophe Le Mevel (FDJ) 18. Sylvain Chavanel (QSI) 19. Roman Kreuziger (LIQ) 20. Samuel Sanchez (EUS) KLASSEMENT 1. Jens Voigt (SAX), 12u40' 26" 2. Peter Sagan (LIQ), op 6" 3. Luis-Leon Sanchez (GCE), op 9" 4. David Millar (GRM), op 12" 5. Roman Kreuziger (LIQ), op 14" 6. Lars Boom, op 20 7. Alberto Contador (AST), op 20" 8. Levi Leipheimer (RAD), op 24" 9. Joaquim Rodriguez (KAT), op 28" 10. Xavier Tondo (CTT) 11. Alejandro Valverde (GCE), op 30" 12. Samuel Sanchez (EUS), op 33" 13. Janez Brajkovic (RAD), op 34" 14. Andriy Grivko (AST) 15. Rémi Pauriol (COF), op 37" 16. Tony Martin (HTC), op n 38"

Stage three of the Race toward the Sun, 201 kilometres from Contres to Limoges, beginning on flat roads to finish in hilly country, with two 3rd category hills on the way, the last one, côte de Nieul, 11 km sort of the finish.

Four riders attacked at the start shot: Finetto, Mangel, De Kort and Mouris. They easily made a good gap, which reached 4'15" after 60 kilometres.

The peloton kept them all the time under control, and they were caught with 20 kilometres to go, the last one, Laurent Mangel, had been leading for 180 kilometres. So the usual bunch sprint decided of the stage win!

Several sprinters went down in a crash, and the winner was Frenchman William Bonnet (BBox) ahead of Slovenian Peter Sagan (Liquigas).

Dutchman Lars Boom (Rabobank) keeps the leader's jersey.

Results
1. William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Doimo
3. Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
4. Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre - Farnese Vini
5. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
6. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
7. Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil - Shimano
8. Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Team Katusha
9. Borut Bozic (Slo) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
10. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas - Doimo
...
30. Jürgen Roelandts
37. Philippe Gilbert
51. Jurgen Van Den Broeck
52. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra)
55. Mickaël Delage (Fra)
58. Francis De Greef
129. Jurgen Van Goolen at 57?
153. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) at 2'27?