Grace Brown extends time with Australian cycling outfit Mitchelton-SCOTT

The 27-year-old Camperdown export showed her huge potential as she made her debut in a number of world tour races with some stellar performances.

She will head into the 2020 with more confidence, experience and understanding to help strike her own path and also lend a hand to teammate and recently crowned UCI world champion Annemiek van Vleuten.

"I'm pretty satisfied with this season," the Australian time-trial champion said.

"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 am really happy to continue next year.

"I think I have a really good understanding of the team and with what I have done this year I have a good platform to now set some higher goals for 2020 and try and achieve those."

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Brown, who recently recovered from injuries sustained in a serious crash in Norway earlier this year, is eager to sink her teeth into a new season.

"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," she said.

"We will of course have Annemiek in the world champion's jersey next year, 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, I think it will change the dynamic of the team and be really positive."

Mitchelton-SCOTT sport director Martin Vestby was impressed by the impact Brown had made on her first year on the tour.

"Grace has proved that she is strong enough to win races both in the time-trial and also on the road after winning a stage at the Tour Down Under," he said.

"She has already shown this year she is very capable but has had some bad luck with some nasty crashes.

"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.

"She has improved a lot and learnt a lot and also seen which races suit her best.

"I am sure that she will take a big step next year with all the experience she has gained and with a more balanced race schedule and hopefully less bad luck."

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