Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) made a late break for the line to win Wednesday's third stage of the Vuelta a Pais Vasco and maintain his overall lead.

It was his second win in a row and maintained his slender lead over compatriot Alberto Contador (Liberty Seguros) by less than a second.

The 170km stage, from Segura to Lerin, featured six climbs, with the peloton climbing over a Cat. 2 and a Cat. 1 climb in the opening 40km. Three punchy Cat. 3s marked the final half of the course before the short but steep climbing finish into Lerin. The final 700 meters featured ramps as steep as 10.5 percent.

The race was shaping up for a bunch sprint until the final kilometer, which reached a gradient of 15 percent in parts, splitting the peloton into a ragged mob as specialist climbers mounted all-or-nothing attacks.

Sanchez left his charge until late to claim victory from Italian Davide Rebellin of Gerolsteiner and Contador. Australian Cadel Evans of Davitamon-Lotto finished sixth.

Alessandro Valverde, the Tour de France hopeful and winner of the opening stage, finished a disappointing 13th, 10 seconds back.

There are three more stages of the Tour to go with the final one a time trial in Zalla.

Sanchez said: "Contador is better than me in time trials but there are some slopes and that suits me."

Stage
1. Samuel Sanchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 4:07:36
2. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
3. Alberto Contador (Sp), Liberty Seguros, s.t.
4. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I), Cofidis, s.t.
5. Jose Angel Gomez Marchante (Sp), Saunier Duval, s.t.

Overall (after three of six stages)
1. Samuel Sanchez (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 11:40:58
2. Alberto Contador (Sp), Liberty Seguros, s.t.
3. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner, at 0:02
4. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, s.t.
5. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I), Cofidis, s.t.

Basso, Grillo win stages in Sarthe
Tour de France hopeful Ivan Basso of Italy won the second section of the second stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe race on Wednesday, an 8.8km time trial.

His teammate Brian Vandborg of Denmark seized the overall leader's jersey from Germany’s Robert Forster (Gerolsteiner).

Earlier, Italian Paride Grillo (Panaria) won a bunch sprint to claim victory in the first portion of the second stage, a 93.8km leg from Saint-Mars-la-Jaille to Angers. Forster finished third behind Italy’s Alberto Loddo (Selle Italia).

Saunier Duval said to woo Freire
Saunier Duval has offered a million euros per year to Spaniard Oscar Freire, whose contract with the Dutch Rabobank team expires at the end of the season, according to the Italian agency ANSA.

The Spanish team and its director Mauro Gianetti has made signing the three-time world champion (1999, 2001 and 2004) its absolute priority for the 2007 season.

Should Freire agree, Saunier Duval would then have a man for the classics to complement Italian Gilberto Simoni, whose strength is in stage racing.