Paris Nice '25, Stage 8: A Collaborative Effort

Once Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) had gone through the intermediate sprint on the Col d'Eze, thus winning the final Maillot Vert, he then collaborated with Magnus Sheffield (Ineos-Grenadiers) on the way into the finale in Nice.  The two were hoping to vie for stage honors in another thirteen kilometers whilst holding off a chasing Matteo Jorgenson.  It worked out that Sheffield dropped the spent Pedersen shortly after this moment.  It is perhaps what Pedersen was telling the American on the British team.  I don't have much left; but I'll give you one more pull before I pull the plug.  Pedersen was the twentieth guy to come across the line, but no matter he had kept the green points jersey.  Whereas Sheffield went on to take the stage by twenty-nine seconds over Jorgenson, finally giving his team the stage win they had hoped for all week long.

Sheffield moved himself into fourth overall, just behind his teammate (and team leader) Thymen Arensman. Again, there just wasn't a good enough image of Sheffield winning along the marina on the Boulevard des Anglais, so this will have to function as his winning painting.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"A Collaborative Effort PN25-36" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice '25, Stage 8: Come and Take It

After multiple attacks from the rest of the reduced peloton, it was the Maillot Jaune himself, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) who went off the front on the Col d'Eze.  As he looked back over his shoulder, he seemed to say to those who would challenge his lead, just try and catch me.  With twenty-five kilometers left in Paris Nice, there were just two guys up the road that might spoil his perfect day.  Despite leading the race by at least thirty-seven seconds on those five seconds or more behind him, he has yet to win a stage in this year's edition of the Race to the Sun.  

He didn't manage to catch both leaders, but he did take second on the stage sealing his second victory in a row of Paris Nice.  There wasn't a great image of his victory salute as he crossed the line twenty-nine seconds behind the stage winner.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Come and Take It PN25-35" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Happily, this painting has sold!

Paris Nice '25, Stage 8: Covering Everything

After the first climb, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) found himself without any of his teammates to help cover the attacks from those nearest his lead in the general classification.  One who tried to escape from the Maillot Jaune was the Maillot Blanc, Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) on the climb up the Cote de Peille.  Jorgenson was able to cover this move, and every other move that mattered on the way to Nice.  Lipowitz had to go for two reasons, one in hopes of taking over the overall, and two he needed to chase down one of the two guys up the road, Magnus Sheffield, who sat third in the Maillot Blanc competition of the best young rider in Paris Nice.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Covering Everything PN25-34" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Happily, this painting has sold!

Paris Nice '25, Stage 8: Flying Off the Mountain

After going over the top of the Col de la Porte in fifth place, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) went on the offensive.  He opened up a one-minute gap on the peloton just by his superior descending skills.  It should be noted that Pedersen is wearing the Maillot Vert of the points leader, oft referred to as the sprinter's jersey.  Of equal importance is that sprinters are exactly known for their climbing prowess.  The guy closes to Pedersen in this competition was the leader of the overall race, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike).  Pedersen could sew up the overall Maillot Vert should he be able to reach the intermediate sprint point over the top of the Col d'Eze.  Should he get maximum points there, Jorgenson will not be able to earn enough points even if he should win the stage to take the green jersey off of this great Dane.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Flying Off the Mountain PN25-33" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice '25, Stage 7: Winning in the Snow

Despite the miserable conditions, Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) was thrilled to raise his arms in the wet snow as he celebrated his victory.  It is the first win for his team in Paris Nice - it is a new team.  Hopefully, his win and the presence of Julian Alaphilippe on the team will go a long way to Tudor Pro Cycling a wild card invitation to this year's Tour de France.  Both this race, and the Tour are organized by ASO, so this will surely be a positive influence on that decision.  At least no one has to race back down this mountain today.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Winning in the Snow PN25-32" (Original art by Greig Leach) 

Paris Nice '25, Stage 7: On His Own

After a very hard pull by his teammate Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) pulled off the front of the breakaway, it was Michael Storer's chance to lay a hard attack.  Once inside the final two kilometers, Storer looked back across the snow-covered corner to make sure no one was bridging back up to him.  Since there is no racing descent off of this climb, the organizers weren't worry that it may well start snowing again.  As he peered back, he wouldn't have seen any of the main chase group, he has almost a minute and a half on them.  I was struck by his choice to just wear a speed suit for this final ascent up to the Auron ski slopes.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"On His Own PN25-31" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice '25, Stage 7: Some Big Names Out Front

It was a large group of fifteen riders that got off of the front of the peloton today.  It was a shorten stage due to the foul weather.  With only 110 kilometers to race, these guys building an over three-minute lead on the peloton containing the Maillot Jaune was significant.  To names that I was surprised to see let lose were Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost).  The former was here riding for his teammate Michael Storer, but Powless was hoping to make up for suffering so much in the cold these past two stages.  Joining these two are Josh Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers), Fred Wrightk (Bahrain-Victorious) and Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-Ag2r-La Mondiale) amongst others.  With just thirteen kilometers of climbing left, it was looking likely that one of these fifteen would be vying for stage honors in the Queen Stage of Paris Nice.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Some Big Names Out Front PN25-30" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice '25, Stage 7: Forming the Grupetto

Due to the threat of snow on the higher elevations, the race organizers took out two of the climbs that were originally part of today's stage.  However, they left in the long slough up the valley to the climb up the Auron.  The thirty-kilometer climb in the cold rain, particularly after the last two days, was proving to much for the fast men of the peloton.  As they approached the twenty kilometers to go signage, guys like Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck), John Degenkolb (Picnic-PostNL), Max Walscheid (Jayco-Alula), and Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) grouped together to get to the finish as best they could.  The Grupetto is what the large group of sprinters and others who suffer on the climbs is called.  They work together to beat the time limit on any given stage.  Oft times there is safety in numbers since the organizers are redescent to kick a large group of riders out of the race even if they do miss the time cut-off.  It should be noted that Walscheid stepped off of his bike before the end of the stage finding the weather and the climb just too, too much.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Forming the Grupetto PN25-29" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice '25, Stage 7: Falling Hard

I am breaking one of my own rules here, but this crash meant something in the overall general classification.  Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) started the day in third place just under a minute behind the race leader.  And he was a mere nineteen seconds off of the race for the Maillot Blanc.  But an unseen traffic island in the middle of an S curve caught the young Dane off guard.  Riders on the front gave a warning of the danger, but his teammate just ahead was so occupied avoiding the danger himself, that he didn't give a warning to the guy right on his wheel.  His teammate, Mads Pedersen, and one of the Gendarmes escorting the peloton were the first to check on his condition.  He had come down hard smacking his helmet against the road.  Pedersen stayed with him until the team car and the doctor arrived and then had to press on with the race.  You can just see the green shorts that go with his Maillot Vert peeking out under his rain gear.  In order to carry that sprinter's jersey to Nice, Pedersen had to keep going.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Falling Hard PN25-28" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice '25, Stage 6: It Was a Close One

Out of the seventeen that came together into Berre l'Etang, Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was the clear favorite for the sprint finale.  What I didn't see coming was just how hard Josh Tarling (Ineos-Grenadiers) pushed the Danish former World Champion for the win.  I suspect that had there been another 100 meters it would have gone to Tarling.  Tarling's teammate Sam Watson was able to just get by a fading Axel Zingle (Visma-Lease a Bike) to take third.  Everyone in the group moved themselves up in the general classification.  With these results, Matteo Jorgenson (Zingle's teammate) now has a forty second advantage over Florian Lipowitz who was in this group as well.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"It Was a Close One PN25-27" (Original art by Greig Leach)