Robbins aims to live dream in Portsmouth's Tour Series shootout

The 19-year-old, from Bristol, will be part of the Madison Genesis squad aiming to defend their title in the unique team championship.

Racing gets under way in Ramsay on the Isle of Man on Thursday, May 12 and climaxes in Portsmouth on Thursday, June 9.

The scrap for the title is expected to go right to the wire and Robbins is relishing the prospect of a south-coast shootout more than most.

The 2014 British junior road race champion said: ‘When the Tour Series was here in 2010, I think I won the under-14 race.

‘It feels like a long, long, long time ago now but I remember watching the senior race, thinking how impressive it was and aspiring to be there one day.

‘So it is really good to now be part of a team who could win it. It almost feels like I have come full circle.

‘It would be really good to get out there, do a few rounds and hopefully do my job.

‘We have made some strong signings and looking at the crits, there is strong competition but I don’t see why we can’t win it again.’

Robbins, who finished second in last summer’s South Region Road Race Championship, joined Madison Genesis prior to the 2015 campaign.

He did not feature in their Tour Series triumph but still has fond memories of the event.

‘You are always going to want to race but we have such a great team,’ he added.

‘We are not just good team-mates, there is a great bunch of lads here who all get on well.

‘So we were all watching and hoping our friends would do well.

‘And then we were made to feel very much a part of that success afterwards.’

The arrival of the Tour Series is the latest boost to cycling in Portsmouth, with the Tour de France’s Grand Depart the big ambition in 2019.

And Robbins has thrown his weight behind the city’s bid after witnessing the race’s success in London and Yorkshire.

He said: ‘Any Grand Depart in Britain would be great, in my opinion!

‘We have done so well in the Tour de France the past few years, so it would be really good to have the Grand Depart again.

‘I went up to Yorkshire and really enjoyed it there. In fact, I even went to London in 2007.

‘It is something which can really inspire people. Anything that encourages more people into the sport and helps it grow, has to be a good thing.’

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series will see nine squads battle for glory across 10 rounds of exhilarating city centre circuit racing.

And it is all about the team result – with the winner of each round decided by the combined time of the first four finishers in each squad.