Australian time trial champion Grace Brown has re-signed for 2020 with Mitchelton-Scott, the team has announced.
In her first season with the team this year, the 27-year-old made an immediate impact, first winning her national TT title and then winning a stage at the Tour Down Under four days later. She went on to ride strongly at the spring Classics in Europe, and again at the OVO Energy Women's Tour and the Giro Rosa in the summer.
"I'm pretty satisfied with this season. I think I achieved more than I expected at the start of the year, and so with some experience now of racing in Europe for a year, I'm really happy to continue next year," Brown said in a press release.
"I think I have a really good understanding of the team, and, with what I've done this year, I have a good platform to now set some higher goals for 2020 and try to achieve those," she said.
"I'd like to focus on the Belgian Classics more next year and maybe try to have a race or two where I get an opportunity to get a personal result, and be a part of those key team goals as a domestique as well," continued Brown, who at Mitchelton-Scott is part of a star-studded squad that includes newly crowned road race world champion Annemiek van Vleuten, three-time Tour Down Under winner Amanda Spratt and Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa winner Lucy Kennedy.
"We will of course have Annemiek in the world champion's jersey next year," said Brown. "She's always been our top rider, so I think we'll race the same, regardless of her being in the jersey, and we all work really well around her.
"It will be interesting to see next year how it will be with our new climbing strength," she said referring to new signings Sofie de Vuyst and Janneke Ensing from Parkhotel Valkenburg and WNT-Rotor, respectively. "I think it will change the dynamic of the team and be really positive."
Sports director Martin Vestby added: "Grace has proved that she's strong enough to win races both in the time trial and also on the road after winning a stage at the Tour Down Under. She has already shown this year that she's very capable, but has had some bad luck this year with some nasty crashes."
Brown broke her collarbone in a crash on the opening stage of the Tour of Chongming Island in China in May, and then crashed out of the Ladies Tour of Norway in late August, which left her with a collapsed lung and four broken ribs, preventing her from taking part in last month's World Championships in Yorkshire.
"It was her first full season in Europe, and of course there were a lot of new races where she has gained a lot of experience, and she has stayed over in Europe for the whole season for the first time," added Vestby.
"She has improved a lot and learned a lot, and also seen which races suit her best. I'm sure that she will take a big step next year with all the experience she has gained, with a more balanced race schedule and hopefully less bad luck," he said.
