Another uphill battle, that’s what this year’s Tour has in store for our cyclists on Monday.

After the Super Basse on Stage 6, the 2008 Tour de France will once again test the mettle of the top cyclists in the world when the tournament resumes on Monday for Hautacam, in what would be yet another tough mountaintop stage.

You read it, the top cyclists in the world will make that climb again as Stage 10 of the 2008 Tour de France is the second of four mountaintop challenges these cyclists will have to endure.

These ‘’uphill challenges'’ will resume on Stage 15 for Prato Nevoso and lastly on Stage 17 for the L’Alpe d’Huez. Unfortunately for these cyclists, many consider the Pau - Hautacam route as the hardest of the four mountaintop stages.

The Pau - Hautacam stage is regarded as the toughest because of its 156-kilometer length. This stage should see some real gaps too, separating the contenders from the pretenders, so to speak.

Geographically, Pau is outside Paris and Bordeaux, and is the most-visited town for the Tour de France. The city was featured on the course no less than 61 times before, with the first time being in 1930.

Last year, the city was host to a stage start and a rest day. The last time a stage finished here was back in 2006. Spain’s Juan Manuel Mercado (Agritubel) bested France’s Cyril Dessel (Ag2r) in a two-up sprint then. The Frenchman was consoled though by taking the yellow jersey for a few days.

Hautacam, on the other hand, is a ski resort nestled above the pilgrimage center of Lourdes. Hautacam has been a stage finish three times before. The most recent, and most famous occasion, was in 2000 when Javier Otxoa (Kelme) took the biggest win of his career.

Each of these visits to the mountain has produced a different stage winner than the overall leader. This scenario may play out in similar fashion this year. But no matter what plays out, this stage should be a pivotal one. Good team tactics and excellent individual fitness will definitely be needed for this uphill challenge.

Who will win the 2008 Tour de France? SBG Global provides a list of the top cyclists you can bet on. Bet now.

Stefan Schumacher

Mark Cavendish

Cadel Evans

Alejandro Valverde

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2008 Tour de France Pau - Hautacam