2011 Quizno's Pro Challenge bike race host cities and stages

Organizers of the newest pro cycling stage race in the US, the Quizno's Pro Challenge, announced the 11 host cities for the inaugural race in 2011.

The 600-mile road race, hatched by a group that included Gov. Bill Ritter and Lance Armstrong, rolls out Aug. 22 – 28.

Unveiled at a press conference in Denver on Thursday, the list of cities sounds more like a vacation schedule for a group of ski bums hitting the slopes in the mountainous state. Twenty-three cities put in a bid for selection.

Climbing opportunities

Cycling fans can expect a lot of climbing to peaks and passes in the various ranges of the Rocky Mountains for this race. I'm not going out on a limb to say that this race favors the climbing specialists.

Recreational cyclists who participate in Ride the Rockies and Tour of Colorado will be intimately familiar with the opportunities for climbs around these cities.

The race route will be hashed out in the coming months.

The 11 host cities are:

Stage 1, Aug. 22 — Prologue time trial, Colorado Springs
Stage 2, Aug. 23 — Salida to Crested Butte, mountain top finish
Stage 3, Aug. 24 — Gunnison to Aspen, mountain stage
Stage 4, Aug. 25 — Vail time trial, former Coors Classic stage
Stage 5, Aug. 26 — Avon to Steamboat Springs
Stage 6, Aug. 27 — Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge
Stage 7, Aug. 28 — Golden to Denver

Benefits

Supporters say the race will reinvigorate the legacy of the Colorado-based Coors International Bicycle Classic, which drew internationally known cyclists to the state from 1979 until 1988. Speakers at the press conference told how the race will show off Colorado's spectacular scenery.

Not wanting to take a backseat to California, Gov. Ritter said, “We will be the premier pro stage race here in Colorado.”

Governor-elect John Hickenlooper, currently the mayor of Denver, said the race creates an interest in bicycling that will “dramatically accelerate the revolution toward more options for transportation.”

Long future

Cyclists on hand for the presentation included Tom Danielson, Tim Duggan and Rory Sutherland.

Former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe, one of the hosts of the event and an avid cyclist, said, “There's no question that this race will be here a long, long, long time.”

We can only hope the cycling race won't follow the route of the Tour of Missouri or Tour de Georgia.