Australia’s prime feminine highway bicycle owner, Grace Brown, has determined to name an finish to her skilled biking profession on the finish of 2024, with the 31-year-old FDJ-Suez rider leaving whereas on the prime of her recreation and hoping so as to add much more lustre to her spectacular palmares earlier than her last log off.
The rider from Melbourne was a late convert to biking, shifting over from operating, and she or he has 23 UCI wins, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège to the record in Might. She has additionally twice come second within the time trial on the World Championships and is predicted to symbolize Australia within the self-discipline and within the highway race on the Paris Olympic Video games.
“I’ve determined that this yr will likely be my final yr in skilled biking,” mentioned Brown in an Instagram put up. “It’s been one thing that I’ve thought of for some time now and I really feel lastly assured to inform everybody.”
Brown began in Australia with Holden Workforce Gusto Racing, the place she made her expertise clear by discovering her manner onto the rostrum of a stage of the 2018 Santos Girls’s Tour, after which she moved to improvement squad Wiggle Excessive 5 earlier than shifting as much as the highest tier with the Australian GreenEdge biking group, now generally known as Liv-AlUla-Jayco, in 2019. Then in 2022 she joined the French FDJ WorldTour group, the place she is going to end her profession.
“I do know that I may have many extra years in biking however I actually miss my life in Australia with my husband, my household and my pals and it’s one thing that’s more durable and more durable to go away,” mentioned Brown.
Whereas European primarily based riders might be able to simply duck dwelling between races, Australian riders face an costly full day and night time in transit, a reversal of seasons and in addition a substantial disconnect in time zones, so return journeys throughout the season are a rarity. Most confine their journey properties to the low season and there’s additionally a Nationwide Championships and block of Girls’s WorldTour racing in January to profit from this.
Brown, specifically, has at all times been one of many key riders to look at throughout this block, profitable 4 nationwide time trial championships, stepping as much as the nationwide highway race podium 5 occasions and in 2023 profitable the Tour Down Beneath. She has additionally delivered various large wins for her group in Europe in addition to being a worthwhile teammate and has additionally been the important thing contender for Australia in each the time trial – the place she has twice taken silver – and highway race in recent times.
I’m actually content material with every part that I’ve achieved, it is past what I ever anticipated,” mentioned Brown, including that ”I’m actually excited for the subsequent chapter of my life however on the similar time I’m actually unhappy to go away this world behind.”
Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless a while earlier than the ultimate race will likely be run. Brown, who got here fourth within the time trial in Tokyo, is predicted to guide the Australian Olympic group in each the race towards the clock and within the highway race in Paris, the place the climbs play to her attacking energy. After competing previously two editions of the Tour de France Femmes, Brown is more likely to be a part of the squad as soon as once more on the race for dwelling group, FDJ-Suez.
“I wish to say a very large thanks to everybody that has adopted me on my journey, that has supported me and that has believed in me,” mentioned Brown.
“Nevertheless it’s not over but. I nonetheless have some actually large targets that I wish to obtain this yr and I’ll proceed racing with FDJ-Suez till the top of the season… Let’s see if I can log off in model.”
