Four top US-based teams plus Liquigas for Colorado race

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Four of the first five teams announced for the first-ever Quiznos Pro Challenge race are American-based teams.  Team RadioShack, HTC-Highroad, BMC Racing Team, and Garmin-Cervelo will take to the roads in Colorado next August, joined by Italian team Liquigas-Cannondale.

The race organisers announced the first five teams on Wednesday.  The race features seven stages including stops in the ski resorts of Vail and Aspen, as well as the state capital of Denver.  The 600-mile stage race is expected to include much climbing in the Rocky Mountains.

Lance Armstrong and Colorado governor Bill Ritter announced the race in August, although at the time Armstrong wasn't certain of his participation in the event.  He has already said that the Tour Down Under in January 2011 would be his last race outside of the US.