Criterium bicycle racing returns to Denton this weekend with a pair of races expected to draw some of the best cyclists in the region.

The Downtown Denton Criterium and Redondo Denton Criterium will offer a combined $8,000 in prize money to competitors, as well as present an opportunity for spectators to witness some of the top road racers in the state.

Race director Christian Williams said he is pleased that the fourth annual event is being held in the fall again this year, near the end of the statewide racing calendar, instead of last year’s July weekend.

“We’re trying to give people a reason to race in the fall,” Williams said. “The racers have a reason to keep going.”

Today’s Downtown Denton Criterium is the more prestigious of the two events. It offers more than $5,700 in purse money spread over eight categories divided by age, gender and skill level.

The races will be held on a 0.7-mile loop course with eight turns that includes the downtown Square headed east toward Industrial Street. Criterium racing, by its nature, is a sprint cycling event contested on a road course.

Races will run throughout the day, beginning with the masters race at 8 a.m. The centerpiece is the pro class race slated for 1:30 p.m., which will run for about 80 minutes and offer a purse of $2,700.

“It’s one of the highlights of the season. Even the non-pro categories have a pro feel. That’s why the guys love it,” Williams said. “It’s a tough course, but that’s what makes it special.”

The pro race will be sandwiched between a pair of youth races (one each for age groups 10-14 and 15-18) that are part of the Lance Armstrong Junior Road Series.

Today’s races have added significance because the Downtown Denton Criterium is the final leg in the yearlong Premier Cup, a Texas Bicycle Racing Association series that includes races in Austin, Houston and Wichita Falls. Riders have been accumulating points at each stop heading into the Denton race.

In addition, Williams said, the weekend will be the final tuneup for many riders heading into the statewide season finale, the Texas State Road Race, scheduled for Oct. 10-11 in Copperas Cove.

Williams said race organizers are making a push for spectators to line the course to watch the races and learn more about cycling. He said the race offers a unique downtown setting as well as fast-paced excitement that is suitable for families.

“You can not only see them — you can feel them go by,” he said. “It’s kind of like being able to put a lawn chair right behind second base.”

To that end, the event will include a bounce house for kids as well as a bake sale, live music, vendors, a vintage bicycle show and a public-address announcer to name winners and provide race updates.

The races will run regardless of weather, although Williams knows that pleasant conditions will increase spectator involvement. Last year’s July race was almost unbearably hot, he said, while in its first year the downtown race was staged in a steady rain.

“We’re looking forward to a normal weekend so we can show off what we’re doing here,” Williams said.

Sunday’s annual Redondo Denton Criterium, the older of the two races, will be contested on a 1.1-mile loop course on the streets around C.H. Collins Athletic Complex.

The race includes the same categories and spectator perks as today’s event. The prize money will be decreased, but speeds will be faster because of the flatter and straighter course.

The pro class race on Sunday begins at 9 a.m. and lasts for about 90 minutes. Williams said most of the racers will ride in both events.

“There’s constant action and the speeds are high the whole time,” Williams said. “That’s what brings the flair to the criteriums.”

TODD JORGENSON can be reached at 940-566-6871. His e-mail address is tjorgenson@dentonrc.com.