Contador closes in on Volta of Catalunya win

Jose Joaquin Rojas won the sixth stage of the Volta of Catalunya, while Alberto Contador kept the leader's jersey on Saturday to close in on his second straight win since avoiding a doping ban.

Rojas, riding for Movistar, edged a pack of chasers to claim the 184.5-kilometre ride from Tarragona to Mollet del Valles in four hours 22 minutes 19 seconds.

"I have lifted a huge weight off my back," said Rojas, who had previously finished two stages as a runner-up and two more in third place.

Contador — riding the Volta for the first time — maintained his 23-second lead over Levi Leipheimer and Michele Scarponi heading into Sunday's final stage.

On Thursday, the International Cycling Union decided to challenge Contador's acquittal by the Spanish cycling federation for a positive test for clenbuterol while winning his third Tour de France last year.

"During the last 50 metres the public cheered for all of us, but above all for Alberto with his problem," Rojas said.

Contador won the Vuelta of Murcia this month and placed fourth in the Tour of the Algarve after being cleared of a proposed one-year ban.