1.9°C Sunny 
TOURRETTES-SUR-LOUP, France - Xavier Tondo of Spain won the sixth stage of the Paris-Nice race after a long solo breakaway on Saturday, while Alberto Contador of Spain kept the overall lead.
Tondo broke away after 40 kilometres of a hilly 220-kilometre trek from Peynie to Tourrettes-sur-Loup and beat Alejandro Valverde of Spain by five seconds. Peter Sagan was third in the same time as Valverde.
"Approaching the end of the stage I was only 15 seconds ahead of the chasing pack. It was very difficult and stressful, but I held on," Tondo said. "It's the first time I am taking part in a big race, so for me it's incredible."
Contador finished safely in the chasing pack in 17th place, and Valverde got a sprint bonus to shave six seconds off the Spaniard's lead. The two-time Tour de France winner is now 14 seconds ahead of Valverde heading into Sunday's final stage.
Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic is 25 seconds back in third place overall.
After two minor climbs, Tondo forged ahead in a group of 20 riders and left them all behind on the final category-one climb up Col de Vence. Italian rider Damiano Cunego gave chase but the pack caught him some seven kilometres out.
"It was a very hard stage, with a very high pace, just like yesterday (Friday)," Tondo said. "This time I managed to get in the breakaway and even though there were several of us in it, I wanted to have a go."
Sunday's stage is a 119-kilometre route around Nice.
Contador won Paris-Nice in 2007, the year of his first Tour win. He won his second Tour last year while on the same team as seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, one of his main rivals at this year's July 3-25 race.
