Australians Stuart O'Grady and Robbie McEwen are among the riders who are more than happy the 's killer climbing stages are well and truly behind them. However while the fight for the race's yellow jersey is all but settled, with Lance Armstrong on the verge of winning a seventh consecutive yellow jersey, the fight for other race glory is far from over.
The battle for the other prizes on the race - the green jersey (points classification) and white jersey for the best placed rider aged 25 or under - look set to continue all the way to the final stage in Paris on July 24.
Cofidis professional O'Grady has been trying on and off to win the green jersey for years, while McEwen is a former two-time winner of the prize which Germany's former sprint king Erik Zabel monopolised for six consecutive years.
With Wednesday's 17th stage being held on much flatter terrain, and open to attacks and a possible bunch sprint at the finish it can mean only one thing - O'Grady and McEwen will take centre stage in a bid to overcome the dominance of Norway's Thor Hushovd, who tops the points classification.
"It's been very hot in the Pyrenees but after a rest day I'm feeling a bit better," said O'Grady ahead of Tuesday's final day of climbing in the high mountains.
The 31-year-old from Adelaide began the race with the primary aim of winning a stage but has found himself second in the points competition, and in with a great chance of finally realising a long held dream.
"In the third week of the race everything's a bit up and down, so it's going to come down to a psychological war.
"But I'm just going to be taking it day by day."
Ahead of Tuesday's stage held over 180.5km from Mourenx to nearby Pau, O'Grady's deficit on Hushovd was 14 points.
McEwen, who has had to battle his way back into the competition after being disqualified from his victory on the third stage, is 18 points behind O'Grady.
There are not a lot of opportunities for those interested to take the precious points for the green jersey, which can be won at the finish line of the final stage on the Champs Elysees - as Baden Cooke did in 2003 after holding McEwen off by a whisker to win the prize by two points.
On Wednesday's undulating stage from Pau to Revel, held over 239.5km and the longest stage of the race, McEwen and O'Grady may be happy to let any riders involved in early breakaways and not a danger to their ambitions steal the points at the stage's only intermediate sprint.
If that scenario emerges, however, the pair could find themselves involved in another finish line bunch sprint with the big Norwegian has not won a stage this year so far but who is as equally ambitious.
McEwen is 22 points behind Hushovd but having won three stages on the race so far to bring his total Tour de France tally to eight, he hinted that missing the green jersey this year might not be so bad.
"There's another five stages left and anything can happen really, but I'm not counting on it."
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