Davide Rebellin put an end to his Paris-Nice jinx when he won the Race to the Sun by the slimmest margin ever.

The 36-year-old Italian rider had made it onto the podium three times, in 2003, 2005 and 2007, coming closer than ever last year when he lost to Spain's Alberto Contador on the very last day.

This time, the veteran Gerolsteiner team leader perfectly controlled the numerous attacks over the 115-km se4venth and last stage on the hills overlooking Nice to retain his three-second lead over compatriot Rinaldo Nocentini.

The previous smallest gap between winner and runner-up was four seconds in 1972 when France's Raymond Poulidor beat Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk.

Ukraine's Yaroslav Popovych was third overall, 48 seconds behind Rebellin.

Stage honours went to Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez, who broke away on his own on the Promenade des Anglais to win in similar fashion to his victory last year on La Croisette in Cannes.

A specialist of last-gasp seafront efforts, the Caisse d'Epargne leader held off Belgian Maxime Monfort and compatriot Carlos Barredo to make up for a rather disappointing Paris-Nice for him, having started among the favourites.

Sanchez was third overall last year when Contador, who went on to become Tour de France champion, won. Contador was the most talked about rider in absentia after race organisers ASO refused him entry in all their races because of his Astana team's past doping record.

Because of a dispute, the race was held outside the jurisdiction of the International Cycling Union, which threatened to sanction all the riders at the start. Decisions are expected next week in this case.

In the meantime, Rebellin was left to savour his victory.

"It's a great relief because for many years I had to be content with second or third places and I could not win.

"It was a hard race today and I must thank my team mates. There were a lot of attacks but we managed to control Nocentini well," he said.

"With he Tour du Haut Var and Paris-Nice, I've already won two beautiful races this season and I now hope to grab a nice classic like the ones I've won in the past," he added.

Rebellin's record contains some of the most prestigious races in cycling's calendar like Liege-Bastogne-Liege, la Fleche Wallonne, the Clasica San Sebastian or the Amstel Gold Race.

Paris-Nice, the first big stage race of the season, usually reveals new talents.

After Contador last year, two young riders stole the show. Dutchman Robert Gesink outclassed the rest of the field in the Ventoux climb to the exception of Australian Cadel Evans, the main Tour de France favourite this year.

While Gesink won the best young rider classification and finished fourth, France's Clement Lhotellerie also revealed excellent climbing skills to grab the polka-dot king of the mountains jersey.

STAGE SIX

A furious attack in the final descent helped Davide Rebellin surprise young Paris-Nice leader Robert Gesink and take control of the race after the sixth and penultimate stage to Cannes.

Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel of the Cofidis team won the stage, a 206 km ride from Sisteron.

Rebellin, three times a podium finisher, now leads Italian compatriot Rinaldo Nocentini by three seconds and knows his task is far from over.

Last year, the Gerolsteiner team leader led Spain's Alberto Contador by six seconds before the last stage and lost to the future Tour de France winner.

Rebellin knew it would be hard to topple Dutchman Gesink, 21, in the seven climbs of the day and made his move in the steep and winding descent of the Tanneron mountain overlooking Cannes.

"I knew the descent well and knew it was dangerous but I think it was the only place to attack. My breakaway companions worked well in the finale," he said.

Among these partners were Nocentini, former Giro winner Damiano Cunego, Spain's Luis Sanchez, winner of a similar stage in Cannes last year and Chavanel.

Stage honours finally went to the Frenchman, who had previously held the overall leader's yellow jersey for one day after the third stage in St Etienne.

Chavanel won ahead of Sanchez and 2005 Paris-Nice winner Bobby Julich, the only survivor of a break launched at the beginning of the stage.

"This has been my best Paris-Nice and to top it by a stage victory is great for me. The yellow jersey was a first reward, this is another one," said Chavanel.

Mindful of last year's disappointment, Rebellin was less than triumphant on the finish line.

"It's far from over because I remember last year... My experience helped me in this stage but it also tells me that it is not over.

"I live in Monaco and I know tomorrow's roads by heart. They're my training roads," he said.

The seventh and final stage is short - 120 kms - but steep, with three first category climbs in the mountains overlooking Nice.

STAGE FIVE

Spaniard Carlos Barredo gave his Quick Step team a third victory in the Paris-Nice race when he surged home to win the 172.5km fifth stage in Sisteron.

Belgium's Geert Steegmans had already won the first two stages for the Quick Step team but Barredo scored Spain's first success in the controversial race.

Another Spaniard, Tour de France champion and Paris-Nice title holder Alberto Contador is a notable absentee from the race after organisers refused him entry because of the past doping record of his Astana team.

While French Sports minister Bernard Laporte supported the organisers when he came on the fourth stage on Thursday and said they had every legal right to hold the race, the International Cycling Union (UCI) responded.

UCI president Pat McQuaid told Spanish newspaper El Mundo the sport's governing body would back Contador if he were to sue Paris-Nice and Tour organisers ASO.

If Barredo is not in a position to take Contador's crown, he made fine progress in the overall standings, from 12th to sixth, 1:42 behind Dutchman Robert Gesink, the 21-year-old race leader.

Impressive in the fourth stage on the slopes of the infamous Mont Ventoux, Gesink was helped all day by his Rabobank team mates as most of the peloton was suffering from the previous day's efforts.

A dozen riders called it quits, including Briton David Millar, one of the favourites at the start.

Barredo, who finished 10th in the Tour of Spain last year and has two professional wins to his name, belonged to a breakaway group of 17 riders who parted with the main bunch after the first two climbs of the stage, at kilometre 80.

On the last hill, the Cote des Marquises overlooking Sisteron, the Spaniard surged, followed by four riders, French champion Christophe Moreau, his compatriot Pierre Rolland, Dutchman Karsten Kroon and Italian Manuele Mori.

With four kilometres to go, Barredo made his move and crossed the line with a four-second lead over Kroon and Mori.

"I first worked hard to improve my position in the overall standings and towards the finish, when I saw I was probably the strongest of the escapees, I went for the stage victory," he said.

"First Steegmans, now me, plus the fact we have three riders in the top 10 in the overall standings - I couldn't be any happier," he added.

Gesink finished safe in the main bunch to retain a 31-second lead over Davide Rebellin before Saturday's hilly 201-km sixth stage to Cannes, which includes seven climbs.

STAGE FOUR

Australian Cadel Evans, riding for the Silence team, won the fourth stage of the Paris-Nice race at Mont Serein ahead of Dutch rider Robert Gesink.

Gesink, 21, of Rabobank takes the overall leader's yellow jersey after the 176km stage which finished on the slopes of the famous Mont Ventoux climb.

The duo finished some 30sec ahead of Italian pair Rinaldo Nocentini and Davide Rebellin.

Overnight leader Sylvain Chavanel of France lost steam in the final climb, falling three minutes behind.

Four riders Aleksandr Kuschynski, Jens Voigt, Bernhard Eisel and Niki Terpstra lead a long breakaway from the 11km mark to take a three-minute lead into the final climb.

German Voigt make a solo break at the foot of the 14.9km climb with a gradient of 7.3 percent but was caught with 4km to go.

Tour de France runner-up Evans, 31, stuck at Gesink's heels, overtaking him at the line situated at 1,400m altitude, some 5km from the Ventoux summit.

Gesink made a name for himself last year by finishing ninth in the Fleche Wallonne and his team signed him until the end of the 2012 season.

He leads Rebellin by 32sec and Nocentini by 35sec in the overall standings.

STAGE THREE

Finland's Kjell Carlstrom won a sprint finish to take the third stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race over 165.5km from Fleurie to St Etienne.

Carlstrom, 31, pulled ahead of fellow breakaway rider Clement Lhotellerie in the final stretch to achieve the most important success of his career.

France's Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis, who came in 11th at 43s adrift, took the leader's yellow jersey.

"I didn't know the French rider (Lhotellerie) with me. In the sprint I stuck to his wheel and I waited as long as possible. It's better for me to have a short sprint," explained Liquigas rider Carlstrom.

"I'm very happy with this win, Paris-Nice is an important race," added the Finn whose best previous result was second in a stage of the 2006 Tour de France.

French rider Pierre Rolland, 21, finished third ahead of Italian Davide Rebellin.

Carlstrom and 22-year-old Frenchman Lhotellerie led a long breakaway from the 8km mark along with Australian Bradley McGee, building up a 12-minute advantage. McGee fell behind on the final Croix-de-Chabouret climb.

"At the beginning of the breakaway, I really hoped that we would go all the way but you're never sure," said Carlstrom.

"The team isn't targetting the overall standings so we have free range for the stages."

Chavanel failed in his bid for a stage win as he finished in the first pursuing group some 40 seconds behind the leading duo.

But the French rider is confident that this can be his year to finally win the Paris-Nice, heading into Thursday's 176km fourth stage which takes in the famous Mont Ventoux climb.

The 28-year-old holds a two-second lead on Dutch rider Karsten Kroon in the overall standings with Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez three seconds off the pace.

"I'm savouring this to the maximum! My legs were on fire at the Croix-de-Chaubouret," said Chavanel.

"Tomorrow I think I'm capable of being in front. I've already been there on the Ventoux. It's in the Ventoux that it's going to be decided, but I saw today that there are not many of us for the overall standings."

STAGE TWO

Belgian Gert Steegmans continued his winning form claiming the second stage of Paris-Nice ahead of race leader Thor Hushovd of Norway.

It is the second consecutive stage win for Quick Step rider Steegmans who won a sprint finish ahead of Credit Agricole's Hushovd, France's Sylvain Chavanel and Swiss Michael Albasini.

"The aim was to win one stage. Today, it wasn't really planned but it feels good," said Steegmans.

"Compared to previous years I've more confidence. I've worked with a psychologist and now I feel less stressed. I was too nervous before. When my legs were good I always made mistakes."

Steegmans added: "We decided to control the race with Hushovd's team. We accelerated before the final climb because otherwise it would have been difficult to join the breakaway."

The first peloton, controlled by Belgian Philippe Gilbert, crossed the line several metres behind, after the 201km run under the rain from Nevers to the Beaujolais region.

France's Thierry Hupond from the Dutch Skil team, emerged as potential hope as the 23-year-old lead a long breakaway from the 30km mark, building up a lead of 15 minutes by 105km before being joined just before the summit of the final climb 19.5km from the line.

Luxembourg's Frank Schleck, one of the race favourties, lost three minutes after being caught up in pileup, one of two crashes to disrupt the peloton, some 60km from Belleville.

Hushovd has a three-second advantage on Steegmans in the overall standings going into the third stage, over 165.5km from Fleurie to Saint-Etienne.

"I'm happy to hold the yellow jersey but I'm disappointed to have missed the chance. I'd a real chance to win the stage," said Hushovd.

STAGE ONE

Belgian Gert Steegmans, racing for the Quick Step team, won a sprint finish for the first stage of Paris-Nice.

Prologue winner Thor Hushovd of Norway holds onto the overall leader's yellow jersey after a stage which was cut in half because of rainy and windy conditions.

Instead of starting from Amilly the race was forced to get under way from the tiny village of La Chapelotte because of the adverse weather conditions, cutting the distance from 184.5km to 93km.

Sprinting up a steep finish 27-year-old Steegmans, winner of a stage of last year's Tour de France in Ghent, crossed two seconds ahead of a small group which included most of the favourites.

France's Jerome Pineau finished second ahead of Hushovd and Belgian Philippe Gilbert.

Australian Cadel Evans, second in the 2007 Tour de France, finished in another group two minutes behind.

But the weather conditions did not prevent a toughly-fought race with Slovak Peter Velits, the reigning world junior champion, his Dutch teammate Niki Terpstra and Austrian Bernhard Eisel building up a lead of 4min 10sec before being caught ten kilometres from the line.

The gusts of wind, however, resulted in the peloton being fractured and Italian Davide Rebellin and Scot David Millar found themselves trailing at one point, before managing to fight their way back among the leaders.

PROLOGUE

Norway's Thor Hushovd of the Credit Agricole team won the prologue of the Paris-Nice stage race, a 4.6-km individual time trial around Amilly.

The Credit Agricole team leader, who won a Tour de France prologue in 2006, mastered the slippery course and resisted headwinds to win the 4.6km time-trial in five minutes and 28 seconds.

A steady drizzle fell on the road for most of the prologue, favouring the early starters, who had the luck to ride on a dry course, and the very last riders, who started when the tarmac had dried up a bit.

Unfancied Basque Markel Irizar took an unexpected second place, four seconds adrift.

Germany's Stefan Schumacher, who started last, was third fastest, in the same time of 5:33 as Australian Bradley McGee, a Tour de France prologue winner in 2003.

"The last two kilometres were very windy, with a lot of headwind. But I managed my race well with the help of (team mate) William Bonnet, who started early and gave me good advice," Hushovd said.

Bonnet was fifth, a second behind McGee. Hampered by weather conditions, the other favourites were far from their best.

Winner of last year's prologue, Briton David Millar had to be content with 12th place, 11 seconds behind the winner.

But Millar may have other ambitions: "I climbed the Mount Ventoux twice last week and Paris-Nice is one of my big objectives of the early season," he said.

The Mount Ventoux stage on Thursday is expected to be the highlight of the week.

Last year's Tour de France runner-up Cadel Evans, another one of the leading contenders for overall victory, was a disappointing 36th, 17 seconds off the pace.

Italy's Davide Rebellin, second last year behind Spaniard Alberto Contador, was a lowly 81st.

The absence from the race of Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, rejected by organisers Amaury Sports Organisation with his whole Astana team, was one of many elements of a bitter feud between ASO and the International Cycling Union that has overshadowed the event.

After the Court of Arbitration for Sport declined to rule over the dispute on Friday, 15 members of the Association

of Professional Cycling Teams voted to go ahead and take part in the race despite the threat of expulsion from the UCI.

Seven other teams abstained but accepted the majority decision.

ASO, which also runs the Tour de France, has refused to join the ProTour amid a dispute with the UCI over who competes in ASO events.

Monday's first stage takes the peloton to Nevers over 184.5 kms.

Reuters / AFP