It’s one thing winning a bike race in ideal weather, but it takes a whole lot more in terms of guts, will and determination to do it in the most miserable conditions.
Not 24 hours after we mentioned her as an ascendant star for 2017, Cylance Pro Cycling’s Hippy Lion Sheyla Gutierrez took the win at a decidedly inclement edition of Le Samyn des Dames.
Over the cobbles and rutted roads a little to the south-west of Mons, as leaden-grey skies collapsed under the weight of the rain drops, the 23-year old Spaniard got the better of an escape that formed into the second half of the race marked by cold temperatures, mud-caked roads and four cobbled sections on each of three closing 25-kilometre laps.
Tiffany Cromwell (Canyon-SRAM), Amy Pieters (Boels-Dolmans), Romy Kasper (Alé-Cippolini), and Jessy Druyts (Sport Vlaanderen-Etixx) got away with Gutierrez and quickly took 30 seconds. With 40 kilometres left, the escape had ripped out over a minute-and-a-half with Małgorzata Jansinska and Kirsten Wild patrolling the chasing groups behind.
https://twitter.com/CylanceCycling/status/837323660172079104
Seeing this, there was no great enthusiasm to shut things down, or tow the Dutch sprinter to the line. Tactically, Cylance got it right, following Manel Lacambra’s instructions to get riders away. Gutierrez was able to stick it out as the break tried to eat itself on the way to the line in Dour.
It’s been two seasons since her last win, another race for a strong rider at GP Plumelec, and to see off former Het Nieuwsblad winner Amy Pieters in a two-up sprint, after dropping Tiff Cromwell is a statement of real intent.
Cylance’s recruitment policy over the winter has added a lot of power and experience (Kirsten Wild, Dani King) and with Rosella Ratto and Gutierrez in the ranks, the Classics season looks hugely promising for the green machine.
ME HE ganado una clásica en Bélgica. Lo había soñado pero nunca me habría creído. Le Samyn es mía. Gracias.// I won, I couldn't believe it pic.twitter.com/zLm3dSOk2P
— Sheyla Gutierrez Ruiz (@Sheyarcoiris) March 1, 2017
On Twitter, Gutierrez’s amazement was clear, and her delight infectious, especially as she thanked the veteran Alejandro Valverde for his congratulations, an idol and compatriot who has his own storied history in the Classics. Hopefully this could be just the start of a beautiful love affair with Belgium in spring for a burgeoning talent at the beginning of her career.