The Art of Cycling

Saturday, July 18, 2026

Tour '26, Stage 14: Racing to the Podium

With Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) having already won the stage, this trio was racing for the remaining two steps of the stage podium. It could be argued that his teammate Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) were also racing for the podium in Paris as well. The sprint went to Del Toro, followed by Seixas at the same time. Vingegaard let another six seconds open up between him and the other two. Plus, they earned small time bonuses for their second and third places. Seixas also took over the Maillot Blanc of the best younger rider in the Tour, his time bonus helped but he would still be in White tomorrow regardless. At nineteen years of age, he is the youngest guy to start the Tour de France since 1905! He is now in fourth, with Del Toro in seventh. Vingegaard holds his second place but loses more time to Pogacar.

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: "Racing to the Podium TdF26-103" (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 14: Now He Goes!

After Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) had been isolated others had tried to go on the offensive. But once everyone was on their own without teammates to aid them, that is when Pogacar took off. For a few seconds it looked like Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) were going to be able to hold onto the wheel of the Maillot Jaune. They could not. Behind them in his Maillot Blanc Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) was finding the pace just too much to handle. Once he has gone it is very rare that Pogacar is seen again. Today was no exception. I wasn't pleased with the camera angles when he won the stage, so this will have to do for his victory painting. Let's face it, this is when he won the stage. I do think he has already won the Tour. Although today he seemed weaker, but then he could have been doing the 'rope a dope' move of feinting weakness in order to get his rivals to over commit. That may have been what happened to Vingegaard today.

Purchase this painting here: "Now He Goes! TdF26-102" (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 14: Are You Coming with Me?

While the American Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) tamped out a rhythm on the front of the reduced peloton for his team leader Jonas Vingegaard, others saw an opportunity to attack. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) jumped free of the peloton and found he had Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) on his wheel. The young Frenchman looked back at the Visma-Lease a Bike guys and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) perhaps surprised that they didn't respond to his attack. After all, Seixas started the day in fifth place, and the French are convinced he has the capability of winning the Tour soon. The Maillot a Pois, and the Maillot Jaune were right not to chase, Seixas was soon back in the fold, but his attack dislodge some other pretenders to the throne.

Purchase this painting here: "Are You Coming with Me? TdF26-101" (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 14: Dropping the Last One

As Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Tobias Johannessen (Uno X-Mobility) scaled the final kilometers up the Col du Haag, Carapaz was finally able to drop the last of his day long breakaway companions. The Norwegian fans on the side of the road must have been thrilled to see their countryman at the front so close the end of the stage. With another fourteen-and-a-half kilometers to race, Carapaz only has just under a minute on the closing peloton of favorites. His first goal is to get to the summit first, so he can become the new King of the Mountains, then it is on to trying to win the stage. Alas, neither came to fruition.

Purchase this painting here: "Dropping the Last One TdF26-100" (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 14: Twin Brothers and Teammates in the Break

Not since the Yates brothers fought out for the opening stage victory (and the Maillot Jaune) have we had a pair of twins in a breakaway in the Tour de France. Today, it is Tobias and Anders Johannessen (Uno X-Mobility) are together in the breakaway on the uncategorized climb prior to the final ascent of the day. Unlike the Yates, these guys are on the same team, and they are actually the two in the Tour of a trio of triplets. Will we see their third sibling in the Tour next year? Just ahead of the brothers is Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) still riding for points and the stage victory. They still had hope of getting to the line first, but the peloton is just under two minutes behind them.

Purchase this painting here: "Twin Brothers and Teammates in the Break TdF26-99" (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 14: Becoming King

Still fighting with each other to claim the Maillot a Pois, it is again Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quick Step) outsprinting Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) over the summit of the Ballon d'Alsace. The pair were followed by Tobias Johannessen (Uno X-Mobility) and the rest of the eight-man breakaway. With just one more climb in today's stage Paret-Peintre is the virtual Maillot a Pois, but the final climb is very close to the end of the stage. He will need to still be off the front which may be tough if the guys fighting for a better position on the general classification attack on the way up the Col du Haag. However, he may be wearing it tomorrow regardless assuming Pogacar keeps the lead in the King of the Mountains. Only time, and climbing, will tell the tale. Alas, the end of the stage, and Paret-Peintre's legs made it so he now sits second in his quest to own the Maillot a Pois. Carapaz sits just four points behind him, now in the third ahead of Jonas Vingegaard.

Purchase this painting here: "Becoming King TdF26-98" (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 14: Maintaining

As the peloton containing all of the race favorites climbed the Ballon d'Alsace for the second time this Tour de France, it seems everyone was comfortable to maintain their positions in the general classification. The group a was being led by the UAE Team Emirates trio of Isaac Del Toro, Felix Grosschartner, and Tadej Pogacar in his Maillot Jaune. Next in line were Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike). He is wearing the Maillot a Pois on loan from Pogacar since he is in second place in the competition for the King of the Mountains title. Vingegaard is looking back to his teammate the American Sepp Kuss. I wonder what the conversation was about. It is usual Kuss who sets up an attack for Jonas, just as Del Toro does for Tadej.

Purchase this painting here: "Maintaining TdF26-97" (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 14: Coming Across

Thymen Arensman (Netcompany-Ineos) had the misfortune of having a flat tire on the previous climb. The guy he was with has now joined the leaders of the stage, but he is continuing to try and chase back on. At this point he is still twenty-four seconds behind them. As he continues to climb the Col du Page he still has two-and-a-half minutes on the peloton containing all of the leaders' jerseys including the Green Jersey of the sprinters. But then, that is on the shoulders of Mads Pedersen who is a decent climber for a sprinter. Sadly, Arensman never made it back to the breakaway. Under the advice of his director sportif, he sat up and joined back up with the peloton further up the Col du Page.

Purchase this painting here: "Coming Across TdF26-96" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour '26, Stage 14: Sprinting Up the Grand Ballon

Both Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quick Step) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) had gotten into the breakaway with the sole purpose of earning as many King of the Mountain points as possible. As they neared the summit of the Grand Ballon they sprinted against each other in hopes of getting the maximum points for themselves. As the throngs of cycling fans cheered them on, it was Paret-Peintre who went over the Category 1 climb first. Clearly, Carapaz was second over the top. Once they had collected the points, they rejoined their breakaway companions working together to stay away from the peloton just a minute-and-a-half behind. If either goes over the next three climbs first they will be the new King of the Mountains thus wearing the Maillot a Pois to start Stage 15.

Purchase this painting here: "Sprinting Up the Grand Ballon TdF26-95" (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 14: View from the Back

Bruno Armirail (Visma-Lease a Bike) sits at the back of the early breakaway as they drop off of the Grand Ballon. It is a tradition (and a superstition) to wear the number 13 upside down to ward off the bad luck. It hasn't worked so well for Armirail who has crashed at least twice during this Tour. Maybe if the bib number was pinned on upside down, rather than printed upside down it may have worked better. He is following Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarche), Simone Velasco (XDS-Astana), Egan Bernal (Netcompany-Ineos) and the rest of the large break down the sweeping turns. Given the speeds that the modern peloton descends, they really don't have time to take in the majestic vistas just to their left. I have heard ex-pros talk about never seeing so many of the sites along the course of the Tour (or most any professional race).

Purchase this painting here: "The View from the Back TdF26-94" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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

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