With the creation of the UCI Women's WorldTour, an ambitious new American women's team has come together under title sponsor Cylance, a high-tech computer security firm, with Olympic hopefuls Shelley Olds, Rosella Ratto and Valentina Scandolara heading up the roster.
The team also includes up and coming climber Krista Doebel-Hickok, who won a stage in the Czech Tour de Feminin, Tour de San Luis and BeNe Ladies Tour stage winner Alison Tetrick, multiple collegiate national champion Erica Zaveta, Sheyla Gutierrez, winner of the Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan, Swiss time trial champion Doris Schweizer and Kathryn Bertine.
Cylance Pro Cycling is owned by Inspire Sports, the management company founded by Omer Kem, who previously managed the BMW p/b Happy Tooth and Bissell Pro Cycling teams. Cylance stepped in to sponsor BMW's brother squad SmartStop at the tail end of the 2015 season, and Kem was keen to continue the partnership under a new banner after the men's team folded.
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"With the announcement of women's WorldTour, I was motivated to make a concentrated effort on that calendar. I felt it gave us something to step up to," Kem told Cyclingnews. "My motivation was to create a diverse roster but also make sure we were an American team. The first rider signed was Shelley Olds. She was a 2012 Olympian and someone at this point in her career can win, teach, lead and be there on the road. I wanted to bring her back after several years of racing overseas. We were able to sign Krista Doebel-Hickok, who is a very good up and coming climber. She had some success in Europe this year. We signed Alison Tetrick, who can be a voice in addition to get results for the team. A young rider named Erica Zaveta - she raced with BMW-Happy Tooth team, and I saw an opportunity to develop her beyond the multiple collegiate championships she's won and see if she wants to be a pro cyclists long term."
Ratto, 22, was the bronze medalist behind Marianne Vos and Emma Johansson in the 2013 UCI Road World Championships in Florence. She was also the best young rider in the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche this year, but previously won a stage and was third overall in The Women's Tour in Great Britain, and the Giro dell Emilia.
Scandolara comes from the Orica-AIS team, with which she claimed a second overall and points jersey at the Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile this year, and a stage in the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche. Bertine has been Saint Kitts en Nevis' national team for several years, taking part in the World Championships while advocating for women's cycling.
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