BENDIGO cycling ace Peta Mullens will start 2017 with a new team.
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The multiple Australian road and mountain bike champion has signed with second year women’s road team Hagens Berman Supermint.
Her signing was announced overnight on the United States-based team’s social media accounts.
Mullens makes the switch from Wiggle-Honda, after concentrating her focus on mountain biking during 2016.
She described her past 12 months as soul-finding.
"I didn’t perform the way I’d hoped on the mountain bike in the early season and was only named reserve for the Olympics," she said.
"So I planned a last minute adventure to the US and had the time of my lives. I knew I had to come back in 2017.”
“I spoke to a few teams before deciding that Hagens Berman Supermint was the team for me, the fit is perfect. "
Mullens said the United State's based team's director Jono Coulter and co-owner Lindsay Bayer offered the most flexibility in her racing schedule to concentrate on a few goals.
They include the Tour of California and the MTB World Championships in Cairns.
The 28-year-old was confident she could continue her hectic road and mountain bike commitments and believed her unique situation provided great balance in her life.
"People will say that I've been running circles throughout my career; road to mountain bike to road to mountain bike," she said.
"Some tell me I should make up my mind but it’s the balance of the two that keeps me motivated and in love with cycling.
"I’m most excited about living the dream with a group of women who share the same passion for bikes and life as I do."
Mullens is the only non-American on the team’s 10-woman roster.
Coulter said the team looked forward to Mullens joining the Supermint family.
"Peta is one of those riders that is a joy to watch on the bike," he said.
"She has an attacking style but also very fluid, and can navigate the pointy end of the field like very few people can.
"I have wanted to have Peta on the team for many years now, I am very happy to bring this Aussie talent into the Supermint family."
Mullens won the 2015 Australian road championship, less than 12 months after she captured the national mountainbike championship.
She is also a former under-23 national road champion.