This is a nice GT for the money.
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...7_20000_400306
This Scat is also nice although a bit out of your budget but comes with Ultegra 6700 so it's a great deal as well.
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...numHome=400339
And then there is this Fuji CCR from 09 with Ultegra that is also nice. My girlfriend has the same frame but different color with Sora/Tiagra that we got for super cheap and is getting upgraded to Rival soon. She likes it and says the ride is very comfy and cushy.
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...0_20000_400306
PB also has the 2010 Fuji SL1 Servetto with Rival for $2k and looks awesome in person. The blue color scheme looks great. BTW can you tell I am biased towards Fuji's?
But seriously you can't go wrong with any of those bikes but I would lean more toward Fuji because of their lifetime warranty on frames.