British talent Jess Roberts signs first professional contract with Mitchelton-Scott

British rider Jess Roberts has signed her first professional contract with Mitchelton-Scott women's team.

The 20-year-old moves on from Team Breeze in a two year contract which will take her through to the end of 2021.

The 2018 British Road Race Champion impressed team bosses when she won the event aged just 19, despite most of her background being on the track.

The Welsh rider from Carmarthenshire follows the footsteps of her sister Amy Roberts, who rode for Wiggle-High5 then Parkhotel Valkenburg Cycling Team until 2018.

Australian registered squad Mitchelton-Scott is home to the likes of Dutch Giro Rosa winner and UCI World Time Trial Champion, Annemiek van Vleuten.

Sport Director Martin Vestby commented: “We wanted to fill a slight gap in the team and get a pure sprinter. We had the choice of going for somebody already established or find a new talent that we can let grow in the team and build up in the coming years, and we opted for the latter.

“Jess is a really interesting rider and has shown great potential in the road races she has done this season and of course last year winning the British Championships when she was just 19-years-old.

"She comes from the track and is hoping to go to Tokyo so next year her programme will depend a little bit on that but we are really excited to be a part of her development and journey," he added.

Roberts' results this year include a string of track achievements, having won the Madison at the 2019 European Games as well as the Omnium in the under 23 event.

However, on the road she won stages four and five of the Tour de Bretagne, finishing fifth overall.

Commenting on her newest move, Roberts said: “I’m really excited to join Mitchelton-Scott and look forward to learning from some of the best riders in the world. It’s my first pro contract so it's a big step up but I feel this is the right team for me to grow and develop for the future.

"It’s really special for me to be stepping up to WorldTour. It feels quite surreal saying I’m part of it and I’m really excited to see what the future brings.

"I’ve heard lots of good things about Mitchelton-Scott. It seems like it’s a nice chilled atmosphere where you can have fun as well as be serious and race hard on the bikes."

Though a track appearance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games is not off the cards, Roberts said that she wants to put a greater focus on the road in the future, citing the move as a step in that direction.

“The whole experience is new to me but I will always put 100 per cent into helping my teammates and I'm always willing to learn new things. It’s really exciting for me to be on the same team as riders like Annemiek van Vleuten as this will enhance my development even more,” she added.