The Art of Cycling

Friday, July 10, 2026

Tour '26, Stage 7: A Clear Victory

Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step) was able to work through the crowded field of sprinters to take the stage victory in Bordeaux! He had a clear win over Soren Waerenskjold (Uno X-Mobility) and Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling). It is worth pointing out that neither Merlier nor Waerenskjold vied for points at the intermediate sprint (Girmay did). That may have been the difference between winning the stage and merely collecting points towards the Green Jersey.

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: "A Clear Victory TdF26-51" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour '26, Stage 7: Trying a Late Attack

Uno x-Mobility lost their teammate today after he crashed on the final descent in yesterday's stage while wearing the Maillot Jaune. He finished the stage but was unable to start today. I think they wanted us and the peloton to know that they were still here and still racing. With just ten kilometers to race they decided to try and surprise the sprinters with a late attack. The Norwegian Champion Anders Skaarseth went first. He was covered by the Dane Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) and his teammate (who I image he was riding for) Jonas Abrahamsen. They got maybe a second or two before the sprinters' teams shut them down. There are only today and maybe three other stages that suit the sprinters and they weren't about to let anyone steal off the front today.

Purchase this painting here: "Trying a Late Attack TdF26-50" (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 7: Accepting the Inevitable

A newer Tour tradition seems to be those left in the breakaway saluting each other as the peloton closes in. Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarche) reaches over for a fist bump from his breakaway companion Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros). The pair has been off the front of the race for roughly a hundred and fifty kilometers, but the sprinters want their chance to shine. It was a doomed enterprise, but nothing ventured nothing gained. Veistroffer did pick up maximum sprint points and the sole King of the Mountain point out on the course today. I suspect he will also be rewarded the most competitive rider of the stage for the second time this Tour.

Purchase this painting here: "Accepting the Inevitable TdF26-49" (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 7: The Usual Suspects

I'm hoping you get the famous line from Casablanca that this title is referencing. Or is my age showing, again. Today's intermediate sprint in Landrias was for third best since the two-man break was still up the road. It was the usual group of sprinters that we have seen most every stage vying for the most sprint points still up for grabs. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) added to his advantage and ensure that he would continue to wear the Maillot Vert even if he scores no points in Bordeaux at the end of the day. He was followed across the line in turn by Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling), Max Kanter (XDS Astana) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech). I admit that until this Tour I had never heard of Kanter, but he continues to impress me. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take a stage in the near future. Of course, my heart is pulling for Girmay. Yes, I do have my favorites. Admit it, you do, too.

Purchase this painting here: "The Usual Suspects TdF26-48" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour '26, Stage 7: Not Much of an Advantage

The Tour de France has many traditions, but one of my favorites is the chalkboard method of informing the riders of time gaps. It is always a woman on the back of the LCL sponsored motorcycle that keeps a running tally of the time gaps on a chalkboard that she then displays to the breakaway and the peloton (or any other groups on the road). Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarche) went out on a breakaway effort for the second time in a sprint stage. He must be a real glutton for punishment. It was a little easier today since he was joined in the doomed effort by Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros). At this point with seventy-five kilometers to race, they had a mere minute and a half on the peloton. Unfortunately for them, this was the largest gap there ever got to the sprinters' teams chasing being. Chasing might be too strong of a word, perhaps monitoring would be better.

Purchase this painting here: "Not Much of an Advantage TdF26-47" (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 6: Taking a Bow, a Stage & a Yellow Jersey

Wow, that was impressive! Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) went on the attack with five more kilometers to climb up the Tourmalet. He then rode alone for the next forty-five kilometers alone, increasing his lead on both the descent and the climb up to the finish in Gauarnie-Gedre. He finished two minutes and thirty-eight seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, just shy of three minutes ahead of his own teammate Isaac Del Toro who with a group of seven many of whom are the other favorites for a high placing in the 113th Tour de France. The last guy to finish the stage (there were a couple who climbed off during the stage) was over forty-five minutes behind Tadej's finishing time. Fortunately for Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) he was still inside of the time limit for the stage. Now the question remains, will the Maillot Jaune changed shoulders any more throughout this Tour? Unlikely.

Purchase this painting here: "Taking a Bow, a Stage, & a Yellow Jersey TdF26-46" (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 6: Even the Devil Is a Fan

This is the second time I was able to see Didi Stenft (aka The Devil) at this Tour. And it is the second day I've noticed that he was standing on something to get a better view of the race as it goes by. Time was he would leap high in the air, but perhaps age is finally catching up to this wonderful fixture of the Tour de France. After all, I have been painting him since I started painting the Grand Boucle back in 2012. Clearly, he is fourteen years older than when I first spied him on the side of the road leaping with the joy of the Tour. He cheered enthusiastically as Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) flew by on his way to a very decisive stage victory. Is it the move that will win him his fifth Tour de France? Only time... and fifteen more stages will tell.

Purchase this painting here: "Even the Devil Is a Fan TdF26-45" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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

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Thursday, July 9, 2026

Tour '26, Stage 6: The Race for Third

With Tadej Pogacar up the road about to win the stage and Jonas Vingegaard in between this sextet was racing for third place on the stage. They may also be racing for third place in the Tour de France as well. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was using his time trial prowess in hopes of pulling those two back. He may have been riding for himself or, perhaps, for his teammate Florian Lipowitz. Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) was riding in case they do catch Vingegaard. Should they, he would be ready to bury himself for his team leader. Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious) were riding to minimize their disadvantage to Pogacar and Vingegaard. Just out of frame is Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) who was the one who managed third on the stage, and now sits third on the general classification as well.

Purchase this painting here: "The Race for Third TdF26-44" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour '26, Stage 6: Not Giving Up

Having been dropped by the peloton on the way up Col du Tourmalet, Torstein Traeen (Uno X-Mobility) was seconds away from losing his Maillot Jaune as he sped down the other side of the mountain. As he approached a hard left turn, he overlapped his teammate's rear wheel in went down head-over-heals. He struggled to get back up, but eventual got to the upright and to the side of the road. He was checked out by the doctors and was cleared to ride on. No one wants to go out of the race while in the Maillot Jaune. He took his time but did finally get back on the bike and rode on to the end of the stage escorted by the very teammate who he ran into before crashing. He rolled across the finish almost a half-hour after the stage winner with his teammate Anders Johannessen. Clearly, he won't start tomorrow in yellow. The question remains will he be able to start stage 7 at all?

Purchase this painting here: "Not Giving Up TdF26-44" (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 6: By How Much?

Not long after the attacked, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) went off on his own. As he neared the summit of the Col du Tourmalet, he looked back to see just how much of a gap he had on his rivals back down the mountain. Between the distance and the throngs of fans lining every inch of the road, he couldn't see any of his chasers. At this point he had twenty seconds on Jonas Vingegaard and a minute on Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) who has teamed up with Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA-CGM). The title of this painting is the question of the Tour. It seems clear that he will win the stage, and perhaps the Tour, the only question is by how many minutes by the time we all reach Paris?

Purchase this painting here: "By How Much? TdF26-43" (Original art by Greig Leach)

This painting has sold, but there are digital on demand prints available.

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 →