Contador bangs out a win in Mende

Alberto Contador (Astana) lived up to all pre-stage expectation as he raced to an imposing win on the fourth stage of Paris-Nice on Thursday afternoon in Mende. It was his second such victory on the climb after his commanding performance in 2007.

The Spaniard launched a vicious attack halfway up the La Croix Neuve - Montée Laurent Jalabert, with compatriots Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) the only riders able to put up any semblance of resistance to take second and third.

"Paris-Nice begins now," Contador said although he was disappointed not to open up a bigger gap on his rivals. "It's even more difficult for me to win the GC now being the leader of the classification. My team is strong but it's hard to control such a race."

"I had some doubts about my rivals before today's stage and it remains open," he continued. "As for myself, I felt good but not super. I didn't feel good at the bottom of the final climb. I had to fight hard for position."

44 seconds after firing off his customary pistol salute, Contador also inherited the overall race lead as Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) rolled across the line. The German had put up a brave fight, but couldn't prevent the inevitable.

"Jens fought persistantly to avoid losing too much time," said Saxo Bank director Kim Andersen. "But this is terrain for Contador more than for Jens and naturally we expected the stage to be difficult with these odds."

The Spanish trifecta on the stage also saw the place-getters improve their standing in the major classification, with Valverde now second overall (23 seconds behind) and Sanchez promoted into fifth. Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas-Doimo) defended his podium position and sits 25 seconds behind the new race leader.

"The race is not finished yet,"  said Valverde. "Just remember what happened last year. The next stages will be difficult too. I am second overall at 24" and my teammate Luis León Sánchez the fourth at 28". We will see what we can do to try and change the current ranking.

"I believe that I must be satisfied with my second place here in Mende This kind of hill is just perfect for Contador. Alberto made the difference when he attacked but after that when I attacked behind him the gap was unchanged.

"I felt good and I am most of all happy and at the same time surprised because I am not suffering too much from the cold weather. And believe me it is every day colder. In the Côte de Chabrits it was minus four degrees Celsius."

Astana's guidance of their leader into the final climb was an ominous sign for Contador's Tour de France rivals. The Kazakh squad played a textbook support role as they worked to shut down the day's earlier break and position their captain for his final assault.

Wild card rivals on the move again

After a day-off yesterday, Vacansoleil had earlier resumed their position in the day's breakaway. Marco Mercato (Vacansoleil) was one of seven to respond to Albert Timmer's (Skil-Shimano) initial move after 10 kilometres of racing.

Timmer and Marcato were joined by a flock of five Frenchmen, including Jérôme Pineau (Quick Step), Jean-Marc Marino (Saur Sojasun), Julien Loubet (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Amaël Moinard (Cofidis), as well as Basque rider Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel-Euskadi).

The eight were afforded between three and four minutes by the peloton, with slopes of the category 2 Côte de Montsalvy, category 3 Côte de Lassouts and category 3 Côte de la Crouzette all to themselves. Moinard revealed himself as the man most interested in the climbs as he gradually built up his collection of points at each of the summits.

While the Frenchman busied himself with the lower category climbs, the peloton began to organise itself for the approach to the category 2 Côte de Chabrits and, more importantly the category 1 finale at Mende.

As had been expected, Alberto Contador's Astana team were the ones that put their hands up to take responsibility for the serious portion of the chase. The Spaniard, looking every bit a bandit with his face concealed beneath a black scarf, settled in behind his sky-blue gang as they dragged the peloton back towards the escapees.

The Kazakh team's control immediately began to dent the advantage of the leaders and their lead dropped by a minute for each of the ten kilometre sectors between 40 and 20 kilometres to go.

It was here that the time gap truly began to tumble. The gradual uphill gradient that had followed the Côte de la Crouzette was about to be replaced with the slopes of the Côte de Chabrits and the lead was less than a minute with 16 kilometres to go. Astana disappeared momentarily, but the reason was quickly apparent as a now scarf- and leg warmer-less Contador was escorted back to the front.

In the interim, RadioShack, Sky, Cervélo and Columbia had all shot to the front, with Jens Voigt and Saxo Bank also in close attendance. With the lead suddenly closing on single figures, Timmer led his companions in a final, desperate act of defiance. Mercato, too, pitched in, but as the Chabrits began, a series of nervous looks behind quickly gave way to common sense.

Voigt hangs tough

Cofidis and Bbox Bouygues Telecom now drove the race, Voigt hanging tough. Katusha's action at the front resulted in those less suited to the ascent being ejected from the back of the pack. Pierre Rolland (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) launched the first attack with nine kilometres to go, but within a kilometre the Frenchman had been reeled in.

Brice Feillu (Vacansoleil) immediately fired off the front, hoping to emulate his win in the Alps at last year's Tour de France. Alas, there was to be no repeat for the lanky Frenchman as Astana and Cervélo's tempo snubbed out his attack in time for the short descent through a series of roundabouts to the base of the final climb.

Spanish interest in the climb suddenly peaked as an Euskaltel riders traded places with his Caisse d'Epargne colleagues. Contador allowed the first, shallow kilometre of the ascent to pass with Christophe Le Mevel (Française des Jeux) in front of his wheel, but with two kilometres to race he took off.

As his gap stretched, Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) appeared the only rider willing, or capable of pulling his compatriot back.

But as Valverde's challenge faltered just before the one-to-go marker, Contador showed just why he is regarded as the world's best climber. Behind, Jens Voigt was fighting hard but there was little the German could do to protect his yellow jersey.

As the climb came off its steepest pitch, Contador lit the afterburner as he searched for as many seconds as possible. Valverde was next to cross, eleven seconds later, with Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) only a metre behind. An exhausted Voigt weaved his way across the line, 44 seconds behind the winner.