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Nice place to go for a bike ride, eh?

There’s a rolling flat at Zilling at 8.4km while crews were putting on the finishing touches at a huge viewing area replete with good, old-fashioned Austrian beer tents. It is Oktoberfest, after all.

Couple enjoying a little lakeside breakfast in Hallstatt

You might skip the brew and stop for lunch, or if you have deeper needs...

Hallstatt Village and Hallstatter Lake

...there’s a classic Austrian church at Hallwang at 9.3km for riders who need a spiritual boost before the real suffering begins.

Lake Halstatter

Fans have already staked out the best spots along the flats past Hallwang and painted the names of their favorite riders along the course.

Another perspective

Front row seats

The gardens at Mirabell, directly adjoining the start/finish area

Michael Barry is set to join T-Mobile next season in a new contract that could earn him a start in the Tour de France. Barry, 30, joined Discovery Channel in 2002, but never got the chance to ride the Tour despite strong performances in both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. The Canadian suffered a horrible crash at the Tour of Flanders in April, but returned to racing in June and bounced back to finish third overall in Germany’s Sachsen Tour in July and rode well at the Vuelta. Barry’s departure comes as Discovery Channel shakes up its post-Armstrong roster, with 11 riders

That’s the view looking across to the 15-percent graded climb ...

The fortress and the Old town section of Salzburg

Floyd Landis will seek a public arbitration hearing after learning his bid to have doping charges against him dismissed had failed, a spokesman for the Tour de France winner said Friday. A statement issued by Landis spokesman Michael Henson said Landis "received notice that the Anti-Doping Review Board (ADRB) has recommended that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) move forward in the disciplinary process related to Landis' alleged positive drug test of July 20, 2006. "Howard Jacobs, lawyer for Landis, will request an open hearing by the American Arbitration Association to

... and here’s a look up the twisting, narrow descent to foot of the climb.

St. Wolfgang resort, on Lake Wolfgang

Start-finish is in the same spot in front of the Mirabellgarten along the Salzach River.

It’s hard to tell from this picture, but this is the steepest section of the course with ramps as steep as 15 percent.

Ample grandstands should keep journalists and fans alike out of the sun with the best possible views.

The climb isn’t very long, perhaps 500 meters maximum, but it’s hard enough to break open the race, by the time they reach the summit, there’s sure to be a splinter in the main pack, especially late in the race and the attacks begin in earnest.

The opening kilometers wind through the newer part of Salzburg on the north side of the river.

Some intrepid Italians have already staked out a good spot at the top of the climb.

Zabriskie heads for silver

Cancellara drills it

Zabriskie was second fastest

The Kazakh Attack roars to third

Millar had to settle for 15th, 3:22 back

The gold goes to Cancellara

Think he's at all happy about it?

The podium

Rogers was having an off day

The podium

Baldwin hoped for top 10, but finished 26th

Alejandro Valverde is not among the riders implicated in the Operación Puerto doping scandal that rocked the sport in May, Spanish federation officials insisted Thursday. Valverde, who on Sunday will bid for the men's road race crown here at the world cycling championships, had been the subject of recent reports that he was among the riders implicated in the investigation. Ahead of the Spanish team's arrival on Thursday, Spanish federation president Fulgencio Sanchez, who was accompanied by the country's Minister for Sport Angel Luis de la Fuente, was adamant the Caisse

A rider with the Austrian under-23 men's team has tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) ahead of the world road cycling championships, the Austrian federation confirmed Thursday. Marco Leonardo Oreggia tested positive for the banned blood booster last week when the Austrian federation carried out random tests on the entire under-23 team. Oreggia has yet to demand a test on his B sample. If that turns out positive, or if Oreggia declines to challenge the results of the A sample, it would force a sanction from the Austrian federation. Even if he does demand a re-test, it's unlikely

The two-year racing ban of Tyler Hamilton ends officially Friday and the Olympic time trial champion can immediately return to domestic competition – for now anyway. The New Englander’s troubles seem far from over, however. He is facing a possible lifetime ban if documents found in the “Operación Puerto” dossier show proof of alleged doping practices and the UCI wants to keep him out of the elite ProTour league for another two years. “He can race in USA Cycling-sanctioned events as of tomorrow,” said USA Cycling spokesman Andy Lee told VeloNews. “Until USADA makes some sort of finding in

Cancellara blazes to the gold

Armstrong nails it.

Without missing a beat: Armstrong loses only a little time after dropping her chain.

Thorburn rides to the bronze

Cornu chows down on gold

The podium

Defending champ Ignatiev rode to second

Coppel claimed bronze for France

U.S. champ Bookwalter felt a little off form

Thurig took the silver

Kozlikova started fast, but faded

Neben made it three Americans in the top 10

Something to celebrate – two Americans on the podium

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now up for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of ourmost recent contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winner. Rick Paulos’s “Nice bike path in Amsterdam” caught our attention largely because of its great lighting and composition and because it reminded us of just how nice it is to ride a bike in Amsterdam. Great shot, Rick, and what a great town to explore on two human-powered wheels. Nice work! Drop us a note at

Italian police carried out searches of houses and gymnasiums across the country on Wednesday as part of a investigation into doping in cycling, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport's website. The investigation was prompted by the Spanish investigation into blood-doping, Operación Puerto. The blood-tampering scandal involves nine riders and led to the suspensions of Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso by their teams just before the Tour De France. The searches of 36 addressess across Italy were authorized by Bergamo prosecutor Cristina Rota and carried across in the early hours Wednesday. Among

Nice bike path in Amsterdam

Former Liberty Seguros team manager Manolo Saiz has been replaced by Roger Legeay, the manager of Crédit Agricole, on an UCI ProTour council. Saiz has become a pariah in the sport ever since he was implicated in an ongoing doping affair in Spain to which 58 riders are allegedly linked. The Spaniard was taken in for questioning by police in Madrid at the end of May after he was arrested with 60,000 euros and banned substances in his possession. His arrest was one of the first moves in the investigation dubbed Operation Puerto, and which led to the discovery of an alleged blood doping

Two time world pursuit champion Roy Schuiten has died at the age of 55 it was announced on Tuesday. Schuiten, who won individual pursuit titles in 1974 and 1975, died of a stomach haemmorhage in Portugal where he retired to and owned a restaurant.

Horner - seen here winning a stage at this year's Tour of Romandie - wouldn't mind striking another pose like this in Salzburg.

Horner chats with reporters at the Vuelta

Salzburg played host to Mozart's 250th birthday celebration in January.

World champ Rogers starts this year's Tour prologue

Tuesday afternoon on the TT course.

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Let’s not muzzle those who come forwardEditor:It will be interesting to find out what actions, if any, the Discovery team plans against Frankie Andreu. I for one will be tremendously disappointed if the team were to take any action that would discourage others from coming forward. Cycling

Heading to Salzburg, Vinokourov hopes to pick up where he left off in Madrid.

Cordero is content with his Vuelta

On you mark....

Horgan-Kobelski

Kylander-Johnson

The Vuelta came down to a battle of two-against-one at times.

The action heated up when the peloton reaches the closing circuit in Madrid.

The boys from Khazakstan celebrate in Madrid.

Discovery takes the team prize

Not a bad consolation prize, but a consolation prize, nonetheless.

The police who raided the Swiss home of Germany's 1997 Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich on Wednesday did not take DNA evidence from him, chief police officer Herbert Ammann said in a magazine article published Sunday. Ullrich's home was one of ten private and business addresses raided both in Germany and abroad as he and others are investigated further over connections with Spanish sports doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the alleged head of a blood-doping ring. In an article in Sunday’s Focus magazine, Amman, however, denied earlier reports that the police had seized DNA samples in the

King of the Mountain, Egoi Martinez

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials decided Saturday not to ban hypoxic tents, which may allow athletes to gain endurance-boosting results of altitude without the travel. WADA president Dick Pound announced the decision not to include the tents on the banned training method list, but said scrutiny on the matter will continue. Three WADA commissions examined the tents and suggested not banning them, conforming to the vast majority of committee members in saying they should not be on the prohibited list for 2007. "The biggest item for discussion was whether we should put on the list

The last start line of the year. Parker marks the end of the 2006 NRC season.

American Floyd Landis, who tested positive for testosterone after winning the Tour de France, said Sunday he is confident of proving his innocence. Landis was making an appearance at the final stage of the Vuelta a España and was mobbed by journalists as he watched Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov secure the race's gold jersey on the final day. The American is facing being stripped of his yellow jersey crown after tests showed abnormal amounts of testosterone in his body after his stunning victory on stage 17 which allowed him to re-launch his bid for the overall victory. But following

Newly crowned national criterium champ Brad Huff was one of a few riders to hit the deck in the criterium.

Vinokourov's golden moment.

Stevic went clear alone, but an ill-timed bee sting on his forehead took him out of the race.

New brakes, new crank, new bottom bracket... Campagnolo is making changes