Australian Olympic champion Grace Brown ready to come home after retiring from cycling with fitting final win

Australian Olympic champion Grace Brown has fittingly closed her cycling career with another win, capping a dream swansong season.

The 32-year-old took out the Chrono des Nations time trial for the first time, beating FDJ-Suez teammate Vittoria Guazzini by 51 seconds over the 27.2km event in France.

“It’s done ... it’s time for the rest of life,” Brown said in an Instagram video post from her team.

She will return to Melbourne in the next few days, with a bulging trophy cabinet to enjoy.

“Cheers for the good years!” Brown wrote.

“My head is swimming with thoughts, and my heart is in knots of emotion about this last race. I can’t quite describe the joy and sadness I feel, all in one.

“It was an honour to win wearing the World Champ rainbow bands on my Olympic Champ gold bike. A perfect image of this perfect year.

“I have more to share about my retirement, but for now, I want to say a big thank you to the whole FDJ-Suez team, who made my final race day incredibly special. It’s really hard to say goodbye. I will miss you all so much!”

The time trial specialist won Australia’s first gold medal at the Olympics, taking out the event in sodden conditions on day one of the Games.

It was Brown’s first Olympic medal.

Brown had started the year in January by winning her third straight Australian time trial championship — the fourth time overall she had claimed the title — despite a back injury.

In April she had the biggest road race win of her career, claiming the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic.

Two months later, with Paris looming, Brown stunned the sport by announcing this season would be her last after realising she needed to come home for good.

“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,” she said at the time.

While most Australian professional cyclists base themselves in Europe for the road season — and some don’t return for years — Brown is known for having mid-year breaks to freshen up back in Melbourne.

There were plenty of queries after her Paris gold medal about whether Brown would revisit that decision, and those questions only multiplied after the Australian starred last month at the world road championships.

Brown won her first time trial world title and then was part of the Australian team that claimed the mixed team relay, also for the first time.

In May, Brown also won the Bretagne Tour in France for the second straight year.

Brown ends her professional cycling career with 26 wins — and the top highlights all this season.

- with 7NEWS