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Norwegian Thor Hushovd notched up a second stage win in the Tour of Catalunya as Spaniard Alejandro Valverde retained his 15-second overall lead heading into the final stage.

The winner of the opening prologue on Monday, Hushovd took the hilly stage six from Torredembarra to Barcelona ahead of Fabio Sabatini of Italy and New Zealand's Greg Henderson.

"It was a very tough stage with a lot of hills early on and a lot of attacks and I almost got dropped on several on the climbs," Hushovd said.

"But after losing the sprint yesterday, I was determined to get a victory today, and I just managed to hang on.

"I'd had a really tough time through the mountains stages in this race, but I was determined to get a victory."

Hushovd also won the stage into Barcelona in 2005 and now has six stage victories in the race to his name.

"It's not that I get more motivated because it's Barcelona, but the stage here always finishes in a sprint, and I'm a sprinter, so I've got to go for it," Hushovd said.

Race leader Valverde could face attacks on Sunday's short final stage, which has a hilly start but finishes on the Formula One motor racing circuit in Montmelo.

Irishman Dan Martin is in second place with Spaniard Haimar Zubeldia, in third, 22 seconds behind Valverde.

Result and standings after the 150-km sixth stage of the Tour of Catalunya from Torredembarra to Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday.

1. Thor Hushovd (Norway / Cervelo ) 3hrs 26mins 43secs

2. Fabio Sabatini (Italy / Liquigas ) ST

3. Greg Henderson (New Zealand / Columbia )

4. Matti Breschel (Denmark / Saxo Bank )

5. Leonardo Duque (Colombia / Cofidis )

6. Marco Bandiera (Italy / Lampre )

7. Brett Lancaster (Australia / Cervelo )

8. Samuel Dumoulin (France / Cofidis )

9. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / AG2R )

10. Roy Sentjens (Belgium / Silence - Lotto )

11. Matthieu Ladagnous (France / Francaise des Jeux )

12. Nikolai Trussov (Russia / Katusha )

13. Martijn Maaskant (Netherlands / Garmin )

14. William Bonnet (France / Bbox - Bouygues )

15. Hilton Clarke (Australia / Fuji )

16. Lloyd Mondory (France / AG2R )

17. David De la Fuente (Spain / Fuji )

18. Angelo Furlan (Italy / Lampre )

19. Dominik Roels (Germany / Milram )

20. Yukiya Arashiro (Japan / Bbox - Bouygues )

21. Fabrice Piemontesi (Italy / Piemonte )

22. Pablo Urtasun (Spain / Euskaltel )

23. Jakub Fuglsang (Denmark / Saxo Bank )

24. Inigo Landaluze (Spain / Euskaltel )

25. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Caisse d'Epargne )

26. Cameron Wurf (Australia / Fuji )

27. Alexandre Pichot (France / Bbox - Bouygues )

28. Arnaud Labbe (France / Bbox - Bouygues )

29. Alexei Markov (Russia / Katusha )

30. Mikel Astarloza (Spain / Euskaltel )

Standings

1. Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Caisse d'Epargne) 21hrs 45mins 19 secs

2. Dan Martin (Ireland / Garmin ) +15"

3. Haimar Zubeldia (Spain / Astana ) +22"

4. Mikel Astarloza (Spain / Euskaltel ) +34"

5. Jose Angel Gomez Marchante (Spain / Cervelo ) +38"

6. Jakub Fuglsang (Denmark / Saxo Bank ) +45"

7. Alexandr Dyachenko (Kazakhstan / Astana ) +49"

8. Xavier Tondo (Spain / Andalucia ) +56"

9. Samuel Sanchez (Spain / Euskaltel ) +1:42"

10. David De la Fuente (Spain / Fuji ) +1:52"

11. Michael Albasini (Switzerland / Columbia ) +2:13"

12. Christophe Le Mevel (France / Francaise des Jeux ) +2:14"

13. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia / Caisse d'Epargne ) +2:43"

14. Jussi Veikkanen (Finland / Francaise des Jeux ) +2:46"

15. Oliver Zaugg (Switzerland / Liquigas ) +3:05"

16. Adrian Palomares (Spain / Contentpolis ) +3:14"

17. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / AG2R ) +3:36"

18. Jesus Hernandez (Spain / Astana ) +3:41"

19. Vladimir Karpets (Russia / Katusha ) +4:16"

20. Ivan Rovnyi (Russia / Katusha ) +4:32"

21. Alexandre Botcharov (Russia / Katusha )

22. Aitor Hernandez (Spain / Euskaltel ) +4:36"

23. Vladimir Efimkine (Russia / AG2R ) +4:48"

24. Cyril Dessel (France / AG2R ) +5:13"

25. Hubert Dupont (France / AG2R ) +5:18"

26. Manuel Calvente (Spain / Andalucia ) +5:26"

27. Cameron Wurf (Australia / Fuji ) +5:28"

28. Kim Kirchen (Luxembourg / Columbia ) +6:28"

29. Xavier Florencio (Spain / Cervelo ) +6:36"

30. Sandy Casar (France / Francaise des Jeux ) +6:50"

Reuters