Luis León Sánchez () won the stage, with second-placed Thomas Voeckler () gaining the overall race lead. Jurgen Van den Broeck, a general classification contender, left the race due to a clavicle fracture caused by a crash. Hoogerland took back the polka. The next day was the first rest day of the Tour. Stages ten and eleven ended with a bunch sprints, with the victors André Greipel and Cavendish, respectively. The latter took the lead of the points classification. Stage twelve was the first to enter the high mountains, and included two climbs that were rated "hors catégorie", the La Hourquette d'Ancizan and the climb to the finish at Luz Ardiden. An early breakaway of six riders were caught and passed in the final by Jelle Vanendert () and Samuel Sánchez). They held off the chasing group that included the main general classification contenders and a late attack by Fränk Schleck, with Samuel Sánchez crossing the finish line first. Of the general classification favourites, Contador lost the most time in the stage, 33 seconds down on third-placed Fränk Schleck (the highest placed overall contender). The mountains classification points Samuel Sánchez received at the summit finish put him in the polka dot jersey. In the thirteenth stage, a three-rider breakaway went clear over the "hors catégorie"-rated Col d'Aubisque, and after the long descent to Lourdes, they finished with a margin of five minutes; Hushovd took the stage win. Jérémy Roy (), who was one of the three, took the polka. The fourteenth stage was last in the Pyrenees and it included six categorised climbs. As the race reached the "hors catégorie" climb to Plateau de Beille and the finish, the main group of overall favourites took control, and with to go, Vanendert attacked and won with a margin of 21 seconds. His win put Vanendert in the polka. The transitional stage fifteen that moved the race east to the Alps was won by Cavendish from a bunch sprint. The next day was the second rest day. Hushovd won his second stage of the Tour with the sixteenth; he formed part of the three-rider breakaway that escaped with to go.