GOING back to tradition after a one-year hiatus, the Genting Highlands stage makes its return as the dreaded decisive stage of this year's LTdL.

This long-awaited stage is where the significant lead in the general classification and Asian riders' classification will be made or broken.

The stage begins in The Curve - Petaling Jaya, heading towards Sungai Buluh where the first intermediate sprint is on offer at Paya Jaras after just 17 kilometres.

The team of the yellow jersey holder is expected to control the situation and a slow, steady pace could be the order of the day, moving into Kampung Sungai Tua and Batu Caves, then through the second intermediate sprint at Gombak.

The climbing for the day begins at Genting Sempah, where a bunch of 30 or 40 climbers and assistants will begin the formation that will likely decide the outcome of the stage. Heading into Bukit Tinggi, the front end of the race will likely grow smaller as the real climbers come to the fore before they tackle the toughest hors category climb all the way up to the summit of Genting Highlands. The yellow jersey holder at the end of this stage will be the most significant.