Chavanel wins as Rebellin takes charge

CANNES, France -- Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis won the Paris-Nice sixth stage on Saturday as Italian star David Rebellin took the overall race lead on the penultimate day of the prestigious race.

Rebellin, last year's runner-up to Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, now leads countryman Rinaldo Nocentini by just three seconds as overnight leader Robert Gesink fell nearly a minute behind the Gerolsteiner rider.

Chavanel, one of the great hopes of French cycling, sprinted clear clear of an elite group after 206 kilometers from Sisteron to the Mediterranean resort town.

"I've been close these past few years so this time I was really motivated," the 28-year-old told French television.

"I told my teammates I was really up for it today. I got Sanchez in my sights and reined him in and it's a great feeling to win today. This is my best Paris-Nice," he said.

Chavanel had spent a day in yellow midweek before losing it after a struggle climbing the challenging Ventoux, but those travails were forgotten as he gave the French section of the crowd their much-craved first win of the edition.

Sunday's final stage is a 121.5km ride around Nice and finishing up on the picturesque Promenade des Anglais boulevard.

Spain's Leon Sanchez finished second with American Bobby Julich third at two seconds.

Former Giro d'Italia winner Damiano Cunego took fourth ahead of Rebellin and Nocentini who were both six seconds adrift of Chavanel.

Gesink held a 32-second lead over Rebellin overnight, but he was dropped in the final descent to Cannes, with no Rabobank teammates to help him.

Rebellin lost last year's Paris-Nice to Contador on the final stage, and Sunday promises another close finish.

In the Tirreno-Adriatico, sprint star Alessandro Petacchi of Italy won the fourth stage ahead of former world champion Oscar Freire.

Petacchi, who rides for Team Milram, finished the 166-kilometer leg from Porto Recanati to Civitanova Marche in three hours, 59 minutes, 58 seconds.

Petacchi held off Freire in a reverse of the first stage when Petacchi surged but was unable to overtake the Spaniard, who held on for the win.

Niklas Axelsson of Sweden retained a 10-second lead in the overall standings ahead of Sunday's 26-kilometer time-trial, which is likely to decide the final outcome of the weeklong race.

The last two stages on Monday and Tuesday are not expected to affect the overall standings. E-mail to a friend