Rockstar Games will sponsor the 2013 Red Hook Criterium Championship Series underground cycling races, the company has announced.

The Red Hook Criterium brings both professional and amateur racers through a short, multiple-lap race on fixed gear track bikes. The race is traditionally held twice a year, but this year the organization has expanded the event into a four-part championship series. This year, the Red Hook Criterium will focus on promoting rebuilding efforts and community support in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the effects of which are still being felt in the Red Hook neighborhood nearly four months later.

The Red Hook Criterium will kick off on March 30 with its first race at the the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in New York. The second event will take place on June 8 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard before moving on to Barcelona, Spain for the third race on August 24. The final race, which will yield a world champion, will be held in Milan, Italy in early October.

The event will also host a five kilometer running race at both New York events, where runners will trek the same circuit as cyclists.

"We're honored to be sponsoring the 2013 Red Hook Criterium Championship Series," said Rockstar public relations head Simon Ramsey. "We're thrilled to be able to support the local community through cycling, something that's close to the hearts of many of us at Rockstar."