Sheyla Gutiérrez takes great 5th place in Dwars door Vlaanderen
03 April 2019

Dwars door Vlaanderen

Spanish rouleur notches up first big individual result for Movistar Team at Northern classics with committed performance towards Waregem, making part of the winning break which served as launchpad for Ellen van Dijk (TFS).

Dutchwoman Ellen van Dijk (TFS) took Wednesday’s victory at the eighth edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen -UCI 1.1, 108km from Tielt to Waregem- after jumping away in the finale from a leading breakaway of eleven riders formed into the crosswinds at a fast-paced peloton after the hills halfway through the course. The move included one of the Movistar Team’s biggest hopefuls, one who really desired to be in such a position: Sheyla Gutiérrez.

Sheyla during her breakaway. (c) Velofocus / Movistar Team

The Varea native near Logroño, La Rioja -a must-have rider for the Northern classics: intelligent, well position at key moments, fully recovered from misfortune throughout the second part of the 2018 season- offered the Jorge Sanz / Sebastián Unzué-led squad a race full of commitment, struggling and fighting into a top-level group.

Always on good terms until the final 20km, the breakaway steadily built a gap which exceeded one minute over the peloton before the final cobbled sector, with all other five Movistar Team riders into a group where the Bigla, FDJ and Valcar squads were unable to bring the leaders back.

Gutiérrez hugs Biannic after her 5th place. (c) Movistar Team

Despite Van Dijk’s move clearly a winning one unable to be bridged back by the others, Gutiérrez did not spend time thinking about that opportunity gone and sought for the best possible result at the pursuing group: fourth at the sprint behind big names such as Marta Bastianelli (TVC, 2nd), Lucinda Brand (SUN, 3rd) and Elena Cecchini (CSR, 4th), yet securing a valuable 5th place, which reinforces her motivation before Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen. Behind, French sprinter Roxane Fournier took 16th at the bunch kick.

Cover picture (c): Sean Robinson / Velofocus