The largest cycling weekend in the history of the city will start today.

Two major events — the inaugural VeloTek Grand Prix and the North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference Championships, hosted by the Kansas University cycling club — will begin outside city limits today.

Registration still is available for both events, which include time trials, road races and criteriums that conclude Sunday with an estimated 300 people participating.

One of the highlights of the two-day races will be Sunday morning, when KU partially will close a portion of its roads to showcase the campus as backdrop in the student-run race.

Today’s portion of the VeloTek Grand Prix — a Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Road Series race, used to develop junior riders within the USA cycling program — will feature a 2.5-kilometer prologue time trail and 1.1-mile loop criterium series starting at 9 a.m. at Clinton Lake campground No. 1. Sunday’s time-based stage race will start at 9 a.m. at Perry Lake, near the dam.

The North Central Championships will begin today with a time trial and road race on Stubbs Road, south of Topeka. Sunday’s racing at the university will begin at 8 a.m. on Jayhawk Boulevard.

For VeloTek Grand Prix information, go to www.alta-sport.com. For information concerning the North Central Championships, go to www.kucycling.com.