The Robbie Report is a new weekly feature on MTBracenews.com. Robbie Squire is the 2008 Junior National Champion and the newest member of the US National Team. Just two years ago Squire was racing as a Sport. In '08, his first year and only year as a Junior Expert, Robbie won the Junior National Championship. In '09 his first year in the senior ranks, the Utah resident will be racing with the U.S. National Under-23 Team. Each week Robbie will share his experiences with us. Join in as the 19 year-old Junior National Champion travels across the United States and Europe racing his bike and living out a once in a lifetime opportunity.

The Robbie Report

Life at the Olympic Training Center has been great. The food is good, the rooms are comfortable, and the weather is very easy to train in. This place is so focused on producing Olympic quality athletes that I feel obligated to work hard.

From the staff to all of the athletes, every person here is focused solely on the 2012 Olympics. Another oddity of this place is the diversity of athletes here. I’ve heard more different languages in the cafeteria than I do in the airport. The majority of these international athletes are track athletes and more specifically throwers-these guys are huge. One of these athletes is easily the size of the entire U-23 national team.

Another bonus is the presents I’ve been getting from Specialized. The 2009 equipment is coming in and I’ve been reaping the benefits. As of now, I’ll be racing in all brand new stuff and new equipment for the up coming Sea Otter event- I couldn’t be more excited.

Sea Otter is this weekend and it will be my first time to the event. It is recognized as one of, if not the largest cycling event in the U.S. drawing thousands of racers and spectators. The Pro field will be larger than any I’ve ever encountered which should make things interesting. In addition to being the largest field I’ve ever seen, the competition should be pretty intense as well.

After a weekend void of racing, I’m a little confused on how to continue the rest of the week. Having a race every week is something I’m used to and helps keep me organized in training, without it, something doesn’t feel right. Not to worry though, after this weekend I’ll be racing every weekend for the rest of the season-whoa. Racing every weekend is nice because it allows me to gage where I am and lets me get out and see some great trails.

I’ve become very familiar with the trails around Chula Vista, as there are very few of them. Riding around here has been mainly on the mountain bike due to the dangerous drivers around here. One day out on the road, I came across a sign that had the death toll YTD (year to date) on the road. What type of road has a 10’x10’ sign with how many people have died on that road? 

Needless to say I was a bit put off by that sign but continued to ride conjuring up excuses to why they had that sign on a seemingly peaceful road. The scenery was beautiful but was contrasted by the horrendous riding conditions. Aside from there being no shoulder, the traffic passed me with very little consideration to whether I would live or not. On the way back, I was run off the road by a semi-truck and buzzed by several others. Without the traffic, this ride would be one of the best road rides out there. The roads were smooth, the surroundings were beautiful, and the mountains provide plenty of climbing that makes you forget you’re in southern California.

As this week comes to an end, I’ll be preparing for Sea Otter and getting ready to move out of the Olympic Training Center. After Sea Otter I leave for Europe for the 2nd and 3rd World Cups. I’m fortunate to have had this experience and am excited for the races in Europe.

Rob out.