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... and Rebellin tries his hand, too.

Unlike The Star Spangled Banner, the Italian national anthem does not end with the words 'play ball.'

Ballan gives chase...

For who's a jolly good fellow...

Vinokourov was aggressive, but missed that last little gap at the finish, too.

Some folks were more relaxed than others.

Meet the press... the media swarms the front of the peloton before the start...

...while fans from the host country have to stand behind the barrier.

On the road...

Farrar joins the early break

He gets it! Bettini adds the world road title to his Olympic medal.

McCartney is in the main field

Horner, as always, looks happy just to be here.

Yehaww! Vos enjoys the moment.

Neben joined the winning break, earning the best U.S. finish since Dede Barry placed 11th in 2003.

Arndt was aggressive throughout, but Vos ensured that there would be no German winner for the first time in three years.

Maybe disappointed, but Cooke still holds the distinction of making the world's podium for the third time.

The day's most dangerous break formed on the Tiefenbach.

The combination was dangerous and caused concern in the peloton.

Nearing the top of the climb.

Americans at the front

Neben and crew

Armstrong

Cooke on the attack

Rainbow with Gold highlights: Bettini wants a world champion's jersey to add to his Olympic medal.

The peloton at a calmer moment

The charge to the line.

You just won the world championship!

It was a tough day on some.

. . . , but it’s really just a moderate push up a large hump.

The last kilometer banner brings the route into some tricky corners coming into the final sprint.

Imaginative locals have dressed up their farm fields with life-sized cyclists made of wood.

The final straightaway is a clear, 300-meter shot to the line.

Look, there’s the Eddy Merckx campground!

Bettini wants to add a rainbow jersey to his Olympic gold

The road narrows as it pushes off the main highway toward the most decisive sections of the course.

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.

Flat and wide open, the roads skirt the Kapuzinerberg hill just across the river from the old town. There’s a McDonald’s along the route where Chris Horner can load up on carbohydrates before the race.

This upper section could be open to winds as well.

The first of two climbs comes at Oberesch at 7.1km on a wide-open road with grades as steep as 8 percent . . .

After fast, a long, fast downhill from Elixhausen, the course rolls back into Salzburg proper with flat, wide open roads, but it might be too late to pull back a break at 13km to go.

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