Harold Tejada just stole the show at Paris-Nice. The Colombian rider timed his move perfectly to surprise all the heavy favorites in the absolute final moments of Stage 6. He launched a blistering attack out of an elite group and rode away solo to claim a massive victory in Apt.

The sixth stage of the Race to the Sun was incredibly hard to predict.

The route featured just over 2,000 meters of elevation gain. Some people thought the sprinters might survive. But the organizers packed almost all of the climbing into the second half of the day. The tricky finale featured two punchy climbs right before a flat run to the finish line.

It took a long time for the breakaway to finally stick. Stefan Bissegger tried to get away with 170 kilometers left to race. He was shut down.

Eventually, a strong quartet escaped after 45 kilometers. Joshua Tarling and Steff Cras were in the mix. They managed to build a two minute gap over the peloton.

Things got interesting on the Col de l'Aire Deï Masco. Soren Kragh Andersen attacked out of the peloton on the 7.2 kilometer climb. He caught up to a dropped Steff Cras on the descent. But the peloton eventually swallowed them both back up.

The real fireworks started on the final climb. The Col de Saignon is a tough 4.1 kilometer test.

Arthur Kluckers was dropped from the breakaway immediately. Back in the peloton, Victor Campenaerts put the hammer down. His massive effort helped reel in the rest of the escapees.

A small group of top favorites formed on the descent. They looked around at each other, and that is exactly when Tejada struck. He launched the decisive attack for XDS Astana Team and never looked back.

He crossed the finish line completely alone. Dorian Godon won the sprint behind him for second place. Lewis Askey crossed the line in third.

The attrition rate at this year's Paris-Nice is getting wild.

We saw another big batch of riders abandon the race today. Oscar Onley, Fabio Christen, and Ivan Romeo all called it quits. Roughly thirty riders have already dropped out after just six stages.

What Happens Next In Paris-Nice?

Jonas Vingegaard is still sitting comfortably in the overall lead. He looks completely untouchable right now.

But tomorrow is a massive question mark. Heavy snow is predicted on the final climb towards Auron for the queen stage. Race organizers might be forced to shorten the route or move the finish line further down the mountain. If they do, it will be the third year in a row that Paris-Nice loses its queen stage to bad weather.

Stage 6 Top 3

• 1 Harold Tejada (COL)
• 2 Dorian Godon (FRA)
• 3 Lewis Askey (GBR)