Quiznos bike race changes name, lands television deal with NBC Sports, Versus

Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin coming to town

Effective Tuesday, April 5 the Quiznos Pro Challenge international professional cycling competition is now the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Furthermore, the cycling race has inked an extensive television deal with NBC and VERSUS to broadcast the event.
The event, scheduled for August 22-28 with stops in Gunnison and Crested Butte August 23-24, was initially titled the Quiznos Pro Challenge after the event’s founding partner, Quiznos. Quiznos will continue as a founding partner with the same level of involvement and participation.

“As the race continues to build momentum with teams and sponsors from across the globe, and as we significantly increase media coverage nationally and internationally, our new logo will brand the event in a way that better communicates the scale of the event and its audience,” said Rick Schaden, owner and co-chairman of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
“Our goal is to help raise the profile of professional cycling in the United States by hosting an epic race in Colorado that draws the top cyclists in the world and mirrors the excitement of the Tour de France.”
The event also has unveiled a new logo, website www.USAprocyclingchallenge.com and Twitter page @USAProChallenge.
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge entered into a television agreement with the NBC Sports Group to present 25 hours of cycling coverage over seven days.
NBC Sports will broadcast the final day of the inaugural seven-day professional cycling competition live on August 28, 2011. VERSUS, a member of the NBC Sports Group, will extensively cover the event with 3.5 hour broadcasts each day from August 22 to August 28.
“There is no stronger television partner than the NBC Sports Group to present the USA Pro Cycling Challenge,” said Shawn Hunter, co-chairman of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
“With the NBC Sports Group’s extensive, 25 hours of live coverage, millions of fans will be able to follow their favorite cyclists as they compete in the most demanding professional bike race ever held in America.”
NBC will broadcast the USA Pro Cycling Challenge live for two hours on August 28, 2011, while VERSUS, the official home of the Tour de France in the United States, will cover 30 minutes of pre-race coverage and one hour of post-race coverage in addition to live event coverage throughout the entire competition.
“Professional cycling is growing to be one of the largest and most compelling international sports to follow,” said Jon Miller, president of programming of NBC and VERSUS. “Our goal is to give viewers unique access to the pageantry, drama, and extreme competition that will take place as many of the world’s top athletes compete to win the first USA Pro Cycling Challenge.”
The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is expected to be one of the biggest and best races worldwide—America’s answer to the Tour de France. For seven consecutive days, 128 of the world’s top athletes will race across nearly 600 miles through the majestic Rockies. The race comes through Gunnison and Crested Butte August 23-24.
With more than one million spectators expected at the event, as well as national television exposure on NBC and the cable network VERSUS, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge will be the race to celebrate in America.
Spectators of this race will see Olympians, world champions and Tour de France competitors. Fans worldwide will have access to the competition and riders like never before with the most advanced, interactive online, smartphone and broadcast television experience presented to date in professional cycling.