Lance Armstrong riding Quizno's Pro Challenge in 2011

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, world champion Thor Hushovd and former world champion Cadel Evans, as well as legendary team directors Johan Bruyneel and Bob Stapleton are among the world renowned cyclists that will compete in the Quiznos Pro Challenge, August 22-28, 2011.

Today the organizers announced the first five teams to join the Quiznos Pro Challenge, including Team Radio Shack whom Lance Armstrong rides for. The tour is being described as the greatest bike race ever to be held on American soil from - and we're so excited to hear that the greatest cyclist of our times, Lance Armstrong will be riding through Steamboat Springs!

About the Quiznos Pro Challenge

The Quiznos Pro Challenge is most demanding professional bike race ever held in America, with racers experiencing breathless altitudes and nearly 600 mountain miles, for seven-straight days. The inaugural 2011 Quiznos Pro Challenge will take place August 22-28, traveling through some of the world’s most famous and

beautiful destinations, including Colorado Springs, Salida, Crested Butte, Gunnison, Aspen, Vail, Avon,Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, Golden and Denver. 128 of the world’s best professional cyclists from 16 teams, including Team RadioShack, HTC-Highroad, Slipstream Sports/Garmin-Cervelo and Liquigas-Cannondale, will be put to the test like never before.

To keep in touch with the latest news and updates on the Quiznos Pro Challenge, visit

http://www.quiznosprochallenge.com/. 

Where to Stay for the Quiznos Pro Challenge

ResortQuest has lodging in 3 of the of start/finish locations for the Quizno's Pro Challenge: Steamboat, Breckenridge & Aspen.

SteamboatInfo@ResortQuest.com

Tour Schedule and Route

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

About the 5 Teams

Team RadioShack (USA)

Team RadioShack is led by Sports Team Manager Johan Bruyneel, the most winning sports director in history with nine Tour de France victories, including seven with pro-cycling legend Lance Armstrong. The 2010 team was comprised of riders hailing from 16 countries, including Grand Tour leaders, Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Andres Kloden, Jani Brajkovic (Slovenia) and Tiago Machado (Portugal).

Liquigas-Cannondale (Italy)

Liquigas-Cannondale is an Italian professional cycling team ranked second in the UCI ProTour for the third consecutive year. Sport team manager Roberto Amadio has many returning stars including Vincenzo Nibali, who took the overall victory at the 2010 Vuelta a Espana, and Ivan Basso, who earned his second career Giro d'Italia win in May.

HTC-Highroad (USA)

Led by Bob Stapleton, the HTC-Highroad team has the most victories in professional cycling with 389 wins since 2008, nine national titles and six world champions on its 2011 roster. HTC-Highroad is comprised of top young talent with 19 riders under the age of 26 making it one of the youngest teams in professional cycling. The team represents national champions of Germany, USA, Sweden, Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy and Slovakia.

BMC Racing Team (USA)

BMC Racing Team finished as one of the top 10 teams in the UCI world rankings, helping them earn ProTeam status for 2011. Competing in its fifth season overall, the team is managed by Directeur Sportif John Lelangue and includes former world road race champions Cadel Evans (Australia) and Alessandro Ballan (Italy), and U.S. national road champion George Hincapie. In addition to many 2010 wins, BMC Racing Team led both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia in its first participation in both events. As a recent addition, Colorado native and multi-time world and U.S. national champion Taylor Phinney will join the team’s roster in 2011.

Slipstream Sports/Team Garmin-Cervelo (USA)

Headquartered in Boulder, Colo., Slipstream Sports and Team Garmin-Cervelo are managed by CEO and Director Sportif Jonathan Vaughters, a Denver resident who had a 10-year career as a professional cyclist. The 2011 team – a powerhouse in the peloton – includes Ryder Hesjedal, who earned seventh place overall at the 2010 Tour de France; sprint sensation Tyler Farrar; world champion Thor Hushovd and Christian Vande Velde.

We look forward to seeing you in Steamboat for the Quiznos Pro Challenge!

Tour de Steamboat will have renowned biker Andy Hampsten Riding for the Cause!

Tour de Steamboat is scheduled for July 17, 2010 here in Steamboat and the event is happy to be graced with one of the nation’s most acclaimed cyclists Andy Hampsten!

Hampsten will be riding in the Tour de Steamboat which is a long 100 mile ride that includes three mountain passes! Watch out riders your thighs will be on fire! In it’s sixth year, the Tour de Steamboat is a great event which benefits the Sunshine Kids foundation.

For those of us who are familiar with the Steamboat’s newest biking fundraiser the Ride 4 Yellow, we know that Lance Armstrong is coming to town for that ride. And admittedly some of us aren’t as familiar with Hampsten. But as the Steamboat Pilot wrote, “The Tour de Steamboat, scheduled for July 17, will feature Andy Hampsten, America’s Lance Armstrong before Lance was Lance.”

Hampsten is still the only non-European to have won the Giro d’Italia, taking that crown in 1988. He helped usher Greg LeMond to a Tour de France title and finished fourth himself in 1986 and 1992. He’s also a repeat winner of the Tour de Suisse. So really is the Lance-

The Tour de Steamboat benefits the Sunshine Kids with is a non-profit dedicated to providing fun activities for children battling cancer. It allows them to be kids for a day and forget about their health related worries.

“Hey, we have Andy Hampsten and Kent Eriksen,” Tour de Steamboat co-director Katie Lindquist said with a laugh, lining up her event’s star-power against the recently announced news that Armstrong will ride in the Aug. 8 Ride 4 Yellow event in Steamboat Springs. Either way both events are phenomenal local fundraisers that greatly benefit the Steamboat community.

Are you getting involved? If so make sure your lodging is with ResortQuest Steamboat where your lodging money will be well spent on luxurious condos to rest in after the long haul and soak the bike pains away in our hot tubs and receive on site massages… seriously we have it all! See our resorts and book your stay now!

See the full article in the Steamboat Pilot.

Lance Armstrong to Bike in Ride 4 Yellow Steamboat Springs, CO!

August 8, 2010 is Steamboat’s first Ride 4 Yellow event which has been officially sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to raise money for cancer research and awareness through a series of bike races. The event is already going to be meaningful and successful, however now they have officially secured Lance Armstrong himself to ride one of the two signature mountain bike rides!

You heard right!
Lance Armstrong will be in STEAMBOAT!!!!

Lance Armstrong will be biking the “Ride the Divide” which is a 26 mile single track ride. This race is open to the first 200 bike riders who have raised more than $500 dollars to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. This ride has been called one of the most epic mountain bike rides in the Rockies. It begins at the 10,000 ft Dumont Lake on Rabbit Ears pass just outside of Steamboat and winds along the continental divide with over 26 miles of single-track toward the Steamboat ski area. The ride finished at the top of the gondola.

So do you want to get up-close and personal and maybe catch a glimpse of Armstrong as he flies by…or do you want to be part of the action? There are still about 100 spots left for the Ride the Divide ride and you only have to raise $500 dollars! See how to get involved.

The Steamboat Pilot has also printed that Armstrong is no stranger to Steamboat. He is a part owner in the Honey Stinger energy food company based in Steamboat! And another plus for Steamboat is that the Routt County Riders have been working to make Steamboat one of the nation’s most inclusive cycling destinations, an effort it hopes ends up earning the town the moniker “Bike Town USA.” (see full article)

Don’t miss Lance in Steamboat! Book your lodging and sign up or donate to the cause and stay with ResortQuest Steamboat for the best lodging deals and the best lodging in Steamboat!