DENVER Lance Armstrong is teaming with Denver-based Quiznos to bring a major international pro-cycling stage race to Colorado next summer.
Armstrong hopes to ride in the weeklong race, titled the Quiznos Pro Challenge. The exact route of the Aug. 22-28, 2011, race has not been mapped out yet, but it will include a mix of mountain, sprint and downtown stages.
The seven-time Tour de France champion told The Associated Press it will run through Denver, which will serve as either the start or finish, and probably Boulder plus other front-range cities and also through towns in the Rocky Mountains.
It will be the first pro cycling race in Colorado since the Coors Classic was the foremost international pro cycling competition in North America from 1979-88.
It feels like the birth of a new event, but in many ways its really the rebirth of an old event, Armstrong told The AP. This state has a long, long history of supporting a great American stage race, the first of its kind. A lot of American teams and a lot of great American talent were developed out of that.
Armstrong is helping to plan the race. Full details regarding his role will be released later.
With the cancellations of the tours of Georgia and Missouri, the Quiznos Pro Challenge and the Tour of California will be the only ones on US soil next year. The August dates of Colorados race will fit between the Tour de France and the Spanish Vuelta, Armstrong noted. The California race is held in the spring.
The idea is to highlight all the legendary places in Colorado that have a cycling history, Armstrong said.
Armstrong was joining Gov. Bill Ritter for a formal announcement of the race Wednesday morning at the state capitol before leading citizens on a bike ride through downtown Denver. Both Ritter and Armstrong tweeted Tuesday about their excitement over a big announcement and bike ride.
In his interview with the AP, Armstrong declined to comment about the probe by federal investigators in Los Angeles who are looking at cheating in professional cycling and have shown an interest in him.
The investigation was spurred by accusations from Floyd Landis, one of Armstrongs former teammates on the US Postal team, in a series of e-mails sent to cycling and doping officials this spring.
Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title for doping, said the use of banned substances was common on the team. Armstrong has denied those allegations and has questioned Landis credibility. -AP
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