Leonardo Piepoli continued Saunier Duval's domination of the mountains in the Tour de France as the Hautacam played havoc with the yellow jersey on stage ten.
The 36-year-old climber was followed up the 1,520metre climb by team-mate Juan Jose Cobo, to register a third stage victory for the Italian team after Riccardo Ricco's victories at Super-Besse and Bagneres-de-Bigorre.
The Swiss-born Italian becomes the fourth man to win at the Pyrenean ski resort, after Luc Leblanc in 1994, Bjarne Riis in 1996 and Javier Oxtoa in 2000.
CSC's Frank Schleck came in third, 28 seconds behind Piepoli and Cobo, but Cadel Evans' courageous ride ensures that he will wear the maillot jaune when the peloton departs from Lannemezan on Wednesday.
Evans, of Silence-Lotto, showed few after-effects from his crash on Sunday, finishing one minute and 49 seconds behind Schleck, giving him an advantage of just one second over the Luxembourger in the general classification.
The Australian will be buoyed by the knowledge that every time the Tour has visited Hautacam, whoever has finished in yellow has gone on to win the race.
Incumbent leader Kim Kirchen limited his losses on the Tourmalet, but he could not keep pace with Evans' group as the Hautacam began to hit hard.
The Team Columbia rider is now one minute 56 seconds behind the yellow jersey.
The French crowds flocked to the slopes of the Pyrenees on Bastille Day, and they witnessed a son of Marseille, Remy Di Gregorio, take the first significant prize of the day by crossing the Tourmalet alone, claiming the Souvenir Jacques Goddet.
Di Gregorio led until 11 kilometres from the summit of Hautacam, when he was swallowed up by a chasing pack including Schleck, Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre.
Less fortunate were Alejandro Valverde and Damiano Cunego, whose hopes of reaching Paris in yellow were hit by a five-man assault by Team CSC on the Tourmalet.
Valverde's Caisse d'Epargne team-mates attempted to stem his losses, but the Spaniard's troubles multiplied when his rear wheel loosened on the climb to the Hautacam.
