Racing Through the Streets of Beverly

For the seventh straight year, downtown Beverly will be transformed into a top-flight cycling race track for the annual Windover Construction Gran Prix of Beverly on Wednesday.

This year’s event, sponsored by Porsche of Danvers, will help kick off the town’s Homecoming Week with a roster of exceptionally talented men’s and women’s cyclists.

There promises to be plenty of excitement for spectators, and a lot on the line for the championship-caliber cyclists.

For the sixth year, the Gran Prix of Beverly will will double as the state’s criterium cycling championship for men, sanctioned by the sport’s national governing body, USA Cycling.

New this year, the race will also serve as the state criterium championship for women.

The Gran Prix also offers equal prize for both men’s and women’s fields.

“We are pleased to be hosting the Women’s State Championships in Beverly,” said race director Pall Boudreau. “The New England Bicycle Racing Association is leading the charge in opportunities for women, and we’re excited to be a part of this effort”

Beverly has a reputation as a great cycling city in the state, and the Gran Prix only enhances that reputation.

“The Beverly Gran Prix has quickly become a highlight of the summer racing season,” said longtime race announcer Richard Fires, a former racer and now the executive director of MassBike. “The race is unique for a few reasons. The weeknight format, with all the bars and restaurants celebrating on the sidewalks, is a winner, especially for all the Cabot Street businesses that probably see some of their biggest receipts of the year.”

Fries said the Gran Prix also increases interest in cycling for new and casual cyclists.

“When they see the bicycle as something so swift and elegant, they becomes inspired for its potential, which is real,” he said.

On race day, the State Championship Elite Men’s race is set to go off at 6:50 p.m. The Gran Prix also features an Amateur Men’s race at 4:20 p.m., a Masters 40-plus Men’s race at 5:10 p.m., and a Women’s State Championship race at 6:00.

All four groups will race the same serpentine course, which starts and finishes on Cabot Street, and winds along sections of Hale and Dane streets through the heart of downtown Beverly.