In short
| Stage winner | Alberto CONTADOR |
 (yellow jersey) |
Alberto CONTADOR |
 (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 |
|
• 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
Sunday 18 March 2007| stage 7 | Nice > Nice - 129.5 km |
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Contador matador!
Alberto Contador became only the second Spaniard to win Paris-Nice when he toppled Italian veteran Davide Rebellin with a blistering attack in the Col d’Eze, the last climb in the 7th and final stage around Nice. The Spaniard won the stage on his own ahead of three compatriots while Rebellin, without a team-mate in the finale, had to be content with finishing 22 seconds adrift.
Overall, the veteran Italian finished 26 seconds behind Contador for his third Paris-Nice podium. Luis Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne) was third, 42 seconds adrift.
The only previous Spanish winner of the Race to the Sun was Miguel Indurain, an indication of the sort of talent which can be expected from the young Discovery Channel rider, winner in Mende of the toughest stage in this 65th edition and in Nice today.
The film of the stage
Paris-Nice Stage 7
Nice-Nice (129.5 kms)
124 riders at the start.
Sprints of the day
Km 15.5 – Levens
Km 105 – Nice
Climbs of the day:
Km 25.5 - Cote de Duranus (2nd cat)
Km 52 – Col de la Porte (1st cat)
Km 89.5 – La Turbie (1st cat)
Km 113.5 – Col d’Eze (1st cat)
Chavanel first in action
The real start was given at 13:18 to 124 riders. Tom Boonen (Quick Step) did not start. The peloton was nervous from the gun and the first serious break developed at kilometre 5. It involved Francisco Perez Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne), Sandy Casar (FDJ), Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis), Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom), Roman Kreuzinger (Liquigas), Andy Schleck (CSC), Dmitry Fofonov (Credit Agricole),Sergio Paulinho (Discovery Channel), Stig Devolder (Discovery Channel), Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel) and Patxi Vila Errandonea (Lampre).
Chavanel, already in sight in the previous stage, was again in attacking mood. The Frenchman won the first sprint in Levens (km 15.5), ahead of Kreuzinger and Schleck.
Nine riders, some of them involved in a crash at the start, gave up before the first climb, the Cote de Duranus, on which Voeckler strengthened his polka-dot jersey, ahead of Casar and Paulinho. In the descent, the leader of the king of the mountains classification surged to tackle the Col de la Porte on his own. His ten former companions were caught shortly before the second climb of the day (km 46.5).
Voeckler breaks
Voeckler had but a slim 16 seconds lead left at the top of the Col de la Porte, with four Discovery Channel leading the chase behind him. But he regained momentum in the descent to hold a one-minute lead at kilometre 64. But La Turbie cost him dearly as the Frenchman’s hopes of a stage win were broken 3.5 kms from the summit. Voeckler secured the polka-dot jersey anyway.
Four Discovery Channel riders, led by Tom Danielson, reached the top of la Turbie (km 89.5) in the lead and four other men broke clear in the descent – Maxime Monfort (Cofidis), Marcus Burghardt (T-Mobile), Alexandre Botcharov (Credit Agricole) and Francisco Perez-Sanchez (Caisse d’Epargne).
Burghardt won the second intermediate sprint in Nice ahead of Botcharov, and Monfort and the peloton trailed the four by 35 seconds at the start of the Col d’Eze.
Contador strikes
In the first kilometre of the climb (km 108) Contador launched a blistering attack which left his rivals hapless. Only David Lopez Garcia (Caisse d’Epargne) and Tadej Valjavec (Lampre) reacted while Rebellin was climbing at his own pace, along with Luis Sanchez, Joaquim Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne), Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel), Cadel Evans (Predictor Lotto), Christopher Horner (Predictor Lotto), Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas), Frank Schleck (CSC) and Alexandre Botcharov (Credit Agricole)
Contador held a 44 seconds lead at the top of Col d’Eze (km 133.5) over Scheck and Valjavec, followed by Rebellin.
The experienced Italian took advantage of the descent to make his effort and try bridge the gap (20 seconds at kilometre 122). But it was too late and Contador retained a 22-second lead on the finish line.
Contador won his second stage after his victory in Mende and became the second Spaniard to win Paris-Nice after Miguel Indurain in 1989 and 1990.
The winner interview
Contador: "My greatest win"
Your Discovery Channel team-mates were really impressive
I’m very satisfied with the team’s work. This morning we were really impatient for the stage to start to show what we were capable of doing. And we had great fun all day.
Did you have doubts in the finale?
Two kilometres from the finish, I had doubts about Rebellin’s chances to make it back. But as soon as I reached the red flame indicating the last kilometre, I knew I had won. You cannot imagine how happy I am.
Its must be a great victory for you…
This is the greatest win in my career so far. I had won other stage races and other races, but the stature, the history and the profile of this Paris-Nice make it especially great.
The newsflashes
