Australia's top female road cyclist, Grace Brown, has decided to call an end to her professional cycling career at the end of 2024, with the 31-year-old FDJ-Suez rider leaving while at the top of her game and hoping to add even more lustre to her impressive palmares before her final sign off.
The rider from Melbourne was a late convert to cycling, shifting over from running, and she has 23 UCI wins, adding Liège-Bastogne-Liège to the list in May. She has also twice come second in the time trial at the World Championships and is expected to represent Australia in the discipline and in the road race at the Paris Olympic Games.
“I’ve decided that this year will be my last year in professional cycling," said Brown in an Instagram post. "It’s been something that I have thought about for a while now and I feel finally confident to tell everyone."
Brown started in Australia with Holden Team Gusto Racing, where she made her talent clear by finding her way onto the podium of a stage of the 2018 Santos Women's Tour, and then she moved to development squad Wiggle High 5 before shifting up to the top tier with the Australian GreenEdge cycling team, now known as Liv-AlUla-Jayco, in 2019. Then in 2022 she joined the French FDJ WorldTour team, where she will finish her career.
"I know that I could have many more years in cycling but I really miss my life in Australia with my husband, my family and my friends and it is something that is harder and harder to leave,” said Brown.
While European based riders may be able to easily duck home between races, Australian riders face an expensive full day and night in transit, a reversal of seasons and also a considerable disconnect in time zones, so return trips during the season are a rarity. Most confine their trip homes to the off-season and there is also a National Championships and block of Women's WorldTour racing in January to make the most of this.
Brown, in particular, has always been one of the key riders to watch during this block, winning four national time trial championships, stepping up to the national road race podium five times and in 2023 winning the Tour Down Under. She has also delivered a number of big wins for her team in Europe as well as being a valuable teammate and has also been the key contender for Australia in both the time trial – where she has twice taken silver – and road race in recent years.
I’m really content with everything that I’ve achieved, it's far beyond what I ever expected," said Brown, adding that ”I am really excited for the next chapter of my life but at the same time I am really sad to leave this world behind."
However, there is still some time before the final race will be run. Brown, who came fourth in the time trial in Tokyo, is expected to lead the Australian Olympic team in both the race against the clock and in the road race in Paris, where the climbs play to her attacking strength. After competing in the past two editions of the Tour de France Femmes, Brown is likely to be part of the squad once again at the race for home team, FDJ-Suez.
"I want to say a really big thank you to everyone that has followed me on my journey, that has supported me and that has believed in me," said Brown.
"But it's not over yet. I still have some really big goals that I want to achieve this year and I will continue racing with FDJ-Suez until the end of the season... Let’s see if I can sign off in style.”
