The USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships won’t be returning to Central Oregon for a third consecutive December, but that does not mean high-level cyclocross won’t be making an appearance.

This weekend, for the first time, Bend is playing host to a segment of the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross, an eight-race domestic series that draws some of the country’s top riders. The Deschutes Brewery Cup, with a full slate of races for riders ranging from beginning to elite, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in the Old Mill District, the site of cyclocross nationals the past two years.

“What’s kind of cool is that this is the final two races of the series,” race director Brad Ross says.

For cyclists who have participated in nationals in Bend, the course will be a familiar one, as this weekend’s route will be the same as the one used for the 2010 nationals.

The racing kicks off at 8 a.m. both days with the men’s Category 4 division, and it concludes with the UCI (International Cycling Union) elite men’s/U23 race, which starts at 3:30 p.m. and lasts 60 minutes. The morning races, which are sanctioned by the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, are for weekend warrior types and amateur riders. Each day will also include USGP/UCI junior races for 17- and 18-year-olds, USGP 35+ riders, and UCI elite women and men. (For a complete schedule of this weekend’s events, go to www.usgpcyclocross.com/races/deschutes-brewery-cup.)

“Those races take place in the afternoon,” Ross says of the four elite races, “but obviously we want other people to come out and race their bikes on the course and have fun.”

In all, Ross expects about 800 cyclists to participate in the Deschutes Brewery Cup each day. Registration will be available on site both days, though the registration fee for each race will be $10 higher than what is posted on the USGP website. On Saturday, mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-40s are expected, while Sunday’s forecast is for temperatures in the high 30s or low 40s with a chance of snow showers.

For the elites in particular, a lot is on the line. Throughout the series, riders earn points based on finish placements in each race. In each division, the rider who accumulates the most points by the end of the day Sunday will be declared the series champion.

That may not mean a lot to most of this weekend’s riders. As Ross points out, few non-elite cyclists travel for the series — the other three stops this year were Sun Prairie, Wis., Fort Collins, Colo., and Louisville, Ky.

But the elites do travel. The elite men’s races could be particularly compelling, with local pro Ryan Trebon likely to be in the thick of the fight.

Trebon, who rides for LTS/Felt, trails USGP series leader Jeremy Powers, of Easthampton, Mass., by just six points heading into this weekend’s races.

After the first five USGP races, in which Trebon placed first twice, second twice and third once, the Bend rider held a healthy lead in the elite men’s series standings. But on Nov. 13 in Louisville, Ross says, Trebon crashed and injured a knee. He finished only 10th, while Powers, who rides for Rapha/Focus, used two wins that weekend to stake himself to a narrow 232-226 lead heading into this weekend. In all, Powers has swept the past three USGP elite men’s races after finishing third twice and ninth once in the first three.

“It’s kind of good, in a way, because it makes the race real tight,” Ross says of what transpired in Louisville. “Before Kentucky, it seemed like Ryan Trebon had the thing completely locked in the bag. And now, because of this crash, it makes it much more of a tough race.”

Another elite men’s rider to keep an eye on, according to Ross, is Tim Johnson. The Topsfield, Mass., resident, who won the elite men’s race during the 2009 cyclocross nationals in Bend, sits fifth in the overall standings after fifth-, third- and sixth-place finishes in the past three USGP races.

“It seems to me he got a slow start to the season, but now he’s kind of finding his groove,” Ross says of Johnson.

On the elite women’s side, Ross expects Katerina Nash of the Czech Republic to be the front-runner. Nash, who last January placed third at the cyclocross world championships in Germany, leads the elite women’s standings; she won the first three USGP races of 2011 before finishing second twice and third once in the most recent three.

Perhaps easing Nash’s path to the top spot on the podium is the fact that the woman who could have posed the biggest challenge to Nash, Katie Compton, will not be in Bend this weekend. According to Ross, Compton, an American who has placed in the top two in all four USGP races in which she has ridden this year, will be in Europe.

For spectators who are interested in the elite races but have only one day to attend, Saturday could be the better option. That is because in addition to receiving USGP series points based on their finishes, elite riders will earn UCI points that influence their world rankings. Saturday’s races are classified as UCI Category I races, Ross notes, while Sunday’s are UCI Category II races, in which fewer points will be available.

“The riders are much more motivated to do extremely well on Saturday than they are on Sunday because there’s a lot more UCI points on the line,” Ross observes.

Except, perhaps, for Powers and Trebon, who, if all goes to form, could be duking it out for the USGP series title on Sunday in the Old Mill.

If you go

What: U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross

When: Saturday and Sunday; first race of each day starts at 8 a.m. and final race begins at 3:30 p.m.

Where: Old Mill District, Bend

Who: Hundreds of cyclocross racers, ranging from weekend warriors to elites

Registration: $25 to $55, available on site each day

Spectators: Welcome, and admission is free

More info: www.usgpcyclocross.com