Tour '26, Stage 3: Flying to Victory!

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) used the short climb up to the summit at Les Angles to get the jump on the remaining peloton of race favorites.  He opened a small gap on Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) as the Maillot Jaune looked back to see if anyone else was attacking.  That look back seemed to make him lose the wheel of the rainbow jersey, a mistake that left a two second gap between the two main rivals for the win in Paris.  And in so doing, not only did Pogacar win the stage, with the time bonus he drew equal in time with Vingegaard.  That means he will be the next to wear the coveted Maillot Jaune.  Behind, it was Vingegaard in second, followed by Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) in third and Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM). Everyone else keeps their positions in the General Classification.  However, Del Toro will be wearing the Maillot Blanc of best young rider, Vingegaard will be wearing the Maillot Vert (he is second in that competition) as Pogacar will be in the Maillot Jaune.  Of course, Alex Baudin will be in the Maillot a Pois despite not being present at the finale of the stage.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Flying to Victory TdF26-23" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour '26, Stage 3: Who & When?

Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) were the last two teammates left to the two race favorites Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. They were separated by only six seconds, so an attack was sure to come as they neared the final kilometer of the stage. Brushing shoulders with the Maillot Jaune was the man starting the day wearing the Maillot Blanc, Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek).  On Pogacar's shoulder was the teammate of the French hopeful, Tiesj Benoot (Decathlon-CMA CGM) guiding Paul Seixas up to the leaders in hopes he could get a jump on the main rivals.  With just over a kilometer to go everyone knew the jump had to come soon.  Question is, who was going to go first?

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Who & When? TdF26-22" (Original art by Greig Leach)

 Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

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Tour '26, Stage 3: Shaking a Leg

I couldn't resist this painting for multiple reasons.  First, is that I am someone who suffers from leg cramps both on and off the bike, so I sympathized with Alex Baudin's (EF Education-EasyPost) pain.  Then it was the play on the phrase 'shake a leg' which usually means to hurry up.  And hurry up is certainly what Baudin needed to do as the peloton continued to draw even closer to his rear wheel.  He has spent at least eighty kilometers off in the breakaway and now with just seventeen kilometers to race the peloton was just twenty-three seconds behind him.  At one point he was the virtual leader on the road, but now he will have to content himself with claiming the third Maillot a Pois of this Tour.  

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Shaking a Leg TdF26-21" (Original art by Greig Leach)

 Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

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Tour '26, Stage 3: On to French Soil

It was Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) leading his teammates Nils Politt, Isaac Del Toro, and the rest of the peloton out of Spain and onto French soil for the first time in the 113th Tour de France.  As it has been most of the day, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) followed by the Maillot Jaune of his teammate Jonas Vingegaard were stuck to the wheels of the UAE Team.  Not far behind is Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) making sure he doesn't miss a move when it comes.  The Tour will remain in France for the remaining eighteen stages.  

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "On to French Soil TdF26-20" (Original art by Greig Leach)

 Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist → 

Tour '26, Stage 3: Virtual King

Despite being dropped before the climb of the Col de Toses, it was Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) going over the first Category 1 climb of this Tour de France. By being the first over the first big climb he moves into the virtual lead for the Polka Dot Jersey.  By the end the stage, he turned the virtual jersey in to the actual Maillot a Pois.  He was followed over the top by Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and the guy who started the climb first, Raul Garcia Pierna (Movistar).  The climb (and most of the first three stages of the Tour) were lined by fans flying the Catalonian flag.  In just 24 kilometers, the Tour will return to its native soil.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Virtual King TdF26-19" (Original art by Greig Leach) 

 Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

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Tour '26, Stage 3: Starting the Climb First

Raul Garcia (Movistar) broke free from his erstwhile breakaway companions to start the first Category 1 climb of this Tour de France.  He quickly opened up a ten second gap as he rode past the placard announcing the start of the Col de Toses.  He well knows that whoever gets to the summit first will most likely take the Maillot a Pois of the best climber in the Tour.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Starting the Climb First TdF26-18" (Original art by Greig Leach) 

 Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

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Learn More About the Artist → 

Tour '26, Stage 3: No Contest

When Mads Pederson (Lidl-Trek) managed to bridge up to the breakaway, I figured it was just for this.  He seems to be amassing sprint points in hopes of claiming the Maillot Vert.  These uncontested maximum points in Campdevanol put him in the virtual jersey, but the climbs to come may prove his undoing.  He looks back just to make sure neither Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) nor Joris Delbove (TotalEnergies) were going to try and jump him in the final meters to the line.  Behind those three, Marc Hirschi (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Harold Tejada (XDS-Astana) were just keeping an eye out.  Oft times someone will launch an attack just after the intermediate sprint.  It is a great chance to surprise the others since most sit up after the sprint effort waiting for the group to come back together.  Today, the break just got back to the task of trying to gain more time on the following peloton.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "No Contest TdF26-17" (Original art by Greig Leach)

 Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist → 

Tour '26, Stage 3: Looking for Assistance

Fifty kilometers into the race the breakaway had yet to form.  Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) the USA Champion tried to get another attempt going without much success.  He was looking back to see if the guys from EF Education-EasyPost, Cofidis, and Uno X-Mobility would contribute to the effort.  Sadly for the American champion, or the rest of this group, this was not the move to get away from the peloton.  Nor when the breakaway did get free were any of them in it.  It takes legs and luck to make it into the breakaway, and luck was not with Quinn 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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Looking for Assitance TdF26_16" (Original art by Greig Leach) 

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

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Tour '26, Stage 2: Well Played

The first person to congratulate Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) was his team's main rival, Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike).  I honestly think Del Toro was surprised by the gesture and sportsmanship of the Maillot Jaune.  I should point out that Vingegaard then sought out Pogacar to congratulate him for a well-run race. The two champions embraced before Tadej went in search of his victorious teammate and the rest of the team.  After two stages the top five are only nineteen seconds apart as the peloton returns to France.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Well Played TdF26-15" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

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Tour '26, Stage 2: Celebrating Together

The UAE Team Emirates teammates, Tadej Pogacar and Isaac Del Toro, had managed to drop both Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).  So, as they came to the line Pogacar shout to Del Toro to go for the win.  The pair crossed the line atop the Cote deChateau de Montjuic, each gesturing to the other in celebration of the team's (and their) victory.  With the one-two stage wins, Pogacar moves into second place just six seconds behind Vingegaard who finished fourth on the stage. Evenpoel's third place moved him into third on the general classification and Del Toro moves up to fourth place all within sixteen seconds of each other.  Tomorrow Pogacar will be back in his rainbow jersey, but Del Toro will be in the Maillot Vert with the most points in the sprint competition.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Celebrating Together TdF26-14" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist → 

This painting has sold!