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Parra tries to hold off the inevitable...

Piepoli makes contact first.

A good day for Saunier Duval

Young tried backing down Amory

Meier-Augenstein said that based on what he had seen he 'would not have great confidence in the results'

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If Floyd Landis is cleared of charges that he used synthetic testosterone to win the 2006 Tour de France, Monday could go down as the arbitration-hearing version of stage 17. Bolstered by scientific testimony from a pair of defense side experts, the Landis team appeared to poke significant holes in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s allegation that he cheated his way to victory on the Champs-Elysees. Landis had been scheduled to take the stand on the seventh day of this nine-day hearing at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, but his turn didn’t come up until late afternoon, and the

Napolitano nails it at the line in Lido Di Camaiore.

Milram worked hard to deliver Petacchi to the line.

The piano ride up the Passo del Cerreto

The break never posed a big threat

Pinotti enjoyed another day in the lead.

What does tomorrow hold for Pinotti?

Zabriskie has won stages in each of the grand tours.

King Jesse

Landis looked calm and confident

Amory said he didn't think the results confirmed that doping occurred

The leaders hit the Ferrari test track

Arveson has reason to celebrate.

Still in pink

Petacchi may prefer Monday's stage

Arvesen celebrates, as Bettini comes close again

Premont

Plaxton

Gagne now leads the series

Bettini has been trying to get in a break all week.

Hincapie was up there with teammate José Luis Rubiera

Once over the day's second climb, the group worked to keep its lead

T-Mobile worked to keep the gap to a minimum

Saunier Duval lends a hand with the chase

Heading for the day's only hill.

Quick Step puts the hammer down.

American Aaron Olson

José Luis 'Chechu' Rubiera

Floyd on the stand

Catlin provides his perspective

“Everybody cheats. I just didn’t know.” — Dennis Christopher as Dave Stoller in “Breaking Away” Remember the scene in “Breaking Away” when the evil Team Cinzano rider stuffs a pump into goofy Italophile Dave Stoller’s spokes and shows him what big-time bike racing is really all about? That’s what happened Thursday in the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing. Unless I miss my guess, a whole bunch of bright-eyed contributors to the Floyd Fairness Fund suddenly found themselves sprawled in a muddy ditch alongside this race to the bottom, stunned by the revelation that the 2006 Tour de France

Floyd Landis took the witness stand in his own defense Saturday, saying that Greg LeMond misinterpreted his words and that he had nothing to do with a phone call his business manager made to the three-time Tour de France champion on the eve of his testimony at Landis’s arbitration hearing. Landis also denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs, and said his 2006 Tour victory was the product of hard work and determination. “It’s a matter of who I am,” said Landis during direct questioning from attorney Howard Jacobs, who concluded by asking Landis to explain why the three-man arbitration

Petacchi gets a second win.

Hincapie, before Saturday's start in Spoleto

Ah, for the good old days, when people just upshifted their rivals on hills or stuck pumps into their spokes

No way were these guys gonna get away.

Pinotti gets another day in pink.

Liquigas simply wanted to keep the margin small and no one else wanted to chase.

The peloton hit the summit of the Terminillo seven minutes after the escapees did.

The quintet worked together, until....

... Laverde put in a big dig on the final climb.

Pinottii gets the jersey, but for how long?

IRMS Supervisor LNDD, Doctor Corinne Buisson, testifies on Friday

Papp explains why cyclists use testosterone

Antonio Gallegos

The UCI is poised to appeal the Floyd Landis and Ivan Basso doping cases if stiff racing bans are not handed out. UCI president Pat McQuaid said Thursday cycling’s governing body would likely challenge anything less than two-year racing bans to the Court of Arbitration of Sport for the beleaguered Tour de France and Giro d’Italia champions. “We have to wait and see the evidence that comes forward, but if we don’t agree with the ruling, the UCI would appeal,” McQuaid told VeloNews. “If we think the evidence doesn’t support the decision, we can appeal it to CAS.” The Landis hearing opened

The rumors have been floating around for months that “Urko” — one of the infamous codenames found in the Operación Puerto dossier — could belong to Spanish rider Oscar Pereiro. No one dared touch it except a few anonymous web sites until Il Giornale, an Italian newspaper in Milan, published a story Wednesday without naming sources linking Pereiro to bags of blood with the pseudonym found in police raids last May. An angry Pereiro blasted the allegations Friday and said he would quit cycling if he’s forced to provide DNA samples to prove his innocence. “I have never spoken with Eufemiano

Day five of the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing started with a public admission of witness harassment and continued with a heartfelt doping confession by a suspended pro cyclist. In between it was more of the less sensational — but likely more critical — scientific testimony that will likely determine whether Landis is found guilty of using synthetic testosterone to win the 2006 Tour de France. The hearing continues Saturday with Landis himself scheduled to take the witness stand. If he beats the rap, he’ll hold onto his Tour title. Otherwise he faces a two-year racing ban, plus an

Editor's Note: Denver-based attorney Antonio Gallegos is in Malibu, California, this week to observe the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing. Gallegos works for the firm of Holland and Hart, concentrating in commercial litigation and government investigation. He is also an avid cyclist and is developing a sports law practice. At the end of each day Gallegos will be providing VeloNews.com with analysis on what happened and why. Here's his take key moments from the fifth day on the Pepperdine University Campus. Today’s evidence was pivotal for both USADA and Landis as testimony from USADA

Both Laverde and Pinotti had reason to smile.

Laverde quickly showed he was the strongest in the day's successful break.

Mary McConneloug

Kabush is sitting on top of the world (rankings)

Editor's Note: Denver-based attorney Antonio Gallegos is in Malibu, California, this week to observe the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing. Gallegos works for the firm of Holland and Hart, concentrating in commercial litigation and government investigation. He is also an avid cyclist and is developing a sports law practice. At the end of each day Gallegos will be providing VeloNews.com with analysis on what happened and why. Here's his take on the third day of an arbitration hearing that is expected to last up to 10 days. Landis’s attorneys spent nearly the entire day cross-examining

LeMond said he was surprised when Landis called him last August.

LeMond testified under oath that Landis implicitly admitted to doping during a phone call. LeMond also testified that he received what he characterized as a threatening phone call from a member of the Landis team on the eve of his testimony.

Landis listens to LeMond's testimony on Thursday.

Editor's Note: Denver-based attorney Antonio Gallegos is in Malibu, California, this week to observe the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing. Gallegos works for the firm of Holland and Hart, concentrating in commercial litigation and government investigation. He is also an avid cyclist and is developing a sports law practice. At the end of each day Gallegos will be providing VeloNews.com with analysis on what happened and why. Here's his take on a wild fourth day on the Pepperdine University Campus.Testimony from three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond provided some TV-style

Landis's attorney quickly fired Geoghegan after the business manager admitted making the call.

Following his startling testimony on day four of the Floyd Landis arbitration hearing at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond held an impromptu press conference in the hallway outside the courtroom. Here’s what he had to say. On the threatening phone callThe guy who threatened me last night, as I was leaving [the courtroom today], admitted that he called me and the tried to apologize. I plan on pursuing this through the police. It was a real threat and it was very, I hate to say it, creepy. I think it shows the extent of who he is. On

Three-time Tour winner Greg LeMond said he was threatened by a member of the Landis team on Wednesday night.

Förster earns the second Giro stage win of his career.

Claire Frelat

Oleg Tinkov at the Giro

Antonio Gallegos

Another day in pink. Di Luca says he's ready to give up the jersey... for now.

The defense focused on Frelat's handling of samples, but...

Making the boss happy. Ignatiev and Buffaz try another Jacky Durand immitation.

...Ayotte said Landis's sample would have been positive, no matter where it was tested.

Buffaz was tired after trying the same thing earlier in the week.

so Ignatiev goes it alone...

but the teams of Petacchi and McEwen had other ideas.