The streets of downtown Covington and surrounding area in Newton County will be very busy this weekend. No, it’s not because of road construction. Instead the streets will be full of bicycles.

The Georgia Cycling Gran Prix rolls into town Friday and four of the six races will be held in Covington from Friday through Sunday.

Friday’s race is the third leg of the six-race event over five days. The first two races are in Gwinnett County while Friday’s race and the three remaining will be here in Newton County.

Each of the four races in Newton County is different. Friday’s race is the Oxford Hills Road Race with racers in eight divisions tackling the 10.47-mile road course in distances ranging from 20-70 miles. The first division, the juniors 15-18 group, starts at 10 a.m. There will be two races Saturday with the first being a time trial at 8 a.m. and the always exciting Covington Criterium races. The criterium is a timed race through a closed .6-mile loop through downtown Covington. There will be eight criterium races with the first group rolling off at 2 p.m. The Pro divisions run a 90-minute race. The start/finish line is on Clark Street on the square.

The races culminate with the Newton Circuit races Sunday. Again, there will be eight divisions with the first one going out at 9 a.m.

Sanctioned by the United States Cycling Federation and with a prize purse of over $9,000 distributed daily, the Georgia Cycling Gran Prix will attract both amateur and professional cyclists of all ages from around the Southeast.

For a race guide on where each race will start and finish and to find out the best places for viewing, log on to www.georgiacycling.net.

Check Friday's edition for a one-on-one with local cyclist Brian Lord who will be racing in two of the four races this weekend.