The Art of Cycling

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 8: Claiming Her Crown

Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) started the day last fully kitted out in yellow. She had an awesome day on the Col du Tourmalet, and I don't use the word lightly. She could have eased off a bit, but instead went flat out in hopes of winning the time trial in yellow on the final day of the Tour de France Femmes. She came just ten seconds of that goal, coming in second to her teammate Marlen Reusser. Even more impressive for the SD Worx-Protime team, the erstwhile Maillot Jaune (and now Maillot Vert) took third on the day just thirty eight seconds behind her stage winning teammate.

This will probably be might last cycling post for the season. I will watch, but most likely not paint, the UCI Road World Championships in Scotland. And I will not be painting the Veulta. Just like many riders, I just don't have it in me to do more than one Grand Tour per season.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3969068-196-297438/Painting/claiming-her-crown-tdff23-52.html

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 8: Finishing Strong

Finishing strong is the perfect description of the last two days for Juliette Labous (DSM-firmenich). Yesterday she started the day in tenth place moving herself up to sixth with her attacking ride on the Col du Tourmalet. Today she still had the legs to finish sixth on the day which put her up into the top five of the second edition of the Tour de France Femmes. Her French fans along the final kilometer were thrilled to see one of their countrywomen placing so high in their home race. They also have another countrywoman finishing the race in the White Jersey of the best young rider. French cycling is looking good for the future, at least in the women's peloton.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3969067-195-297438/Painting/finishing-strong-tdff23-51.html

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 8: Look at These Polka Dots

Both Katarzyna Niewiadoma's (Canyon-SRAM) red bib number and her Maillot a Pois are a direct result of her incredible stage yesterday. She was definitely the most aggressive rider on both the upside and the downside of the Col d'Aspin as well as almost the entire climb up the Col du Tourmalet. Her efforts on both mountains, the largest in this year's Tour Femmes, garnered her enough points to take the lead in the Queen of the Mountains competition. Her exploits also wooed the judges to earned her the title of most aggressive rider of the previous stage. She looks good in red, with red spots. She rode her best time trial of her career, but she was just barely out ridden by Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) who wore the green jersey compliment to these red spots. I wonder if it is intentional that the colors are complimentary (opposite from each other on the color wheel) and the skills that win won jersey are the opposite of those that win the other. In other words, most climbers are not very good at sprinting, and most sprinters really struggle with climbing. However, Lotte Kopecky seems rather skilled at doing both. And her time trial skills were evident today as well.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3969066-194-297438/Painting/look-at-these-polka-dots-tdff23-50.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 8: From Yellow to Green

Wasn't it sweet of the race coverage to find this image so I could make this point? All week while wearing the Maillot Jaune, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) has also owned the Maillot Vert, too. Today having lost her lead in the Tour de France Femmes to her teammate on the climb of the Col du Tourmalet, she started the day in green instead. Kopecky started the day in fourth place in the general classification, but went out determined to get herself back onto the final podium of the Tour de France Femmes. She succeeded. She actually put herself into second by mere tenths of a second over Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM). That had to be the closest margin ever in a grand tour for either the women's or the men's pro tour. Kopecky has had an amazing Tour Femmes!

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3969049-193-297438/Painting/from-yellow-to-green-tdff23-49.html

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 8: Young, Fast, and Alone

Elia Wyllie (Lifeplus-Wahoo) was the only woman to give Cedine Kerboal (Ceratizit-WNT) a fight for the White Jersey of the best young rider in this Tour de France Femmes. She had to go out on course before Kerboal, but she was definitely setting strong time splits out on course. However, by the end of the day she had dropped another minute and a half on her rival for the Maillot Blanc, but she can be proud that third place in the competition was another twenty minutes back. After watching this TdFF, I have great hope for the quality of women's cycling coming up through the peloton.

One of the other reasons I painted this was that I make a concerted effort to paint at least one painting from every team in the race. Sometimes, particularly in single day or one week races, that simply isn't possible. This week I didn't paint anyone from two of twenty-two teams. So, not too bad of an effort if I do say so myself.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3969047-192-297438/Painting/young-fast-and-alone-tdff23-48.html

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 8: Almost a Minute

As Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) in her European Time Trial Champion's jersey made the final turn of the out and back course in Pau, it was looking like she might beat the just set new best time of Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) by a minute. When she got to the line it he time was forty seconds better than the Australian Champion. She had the new best time, a time that won her the stage even after the Maillot Jaune finished her ride. The only two to seriously challenge her lead were her own teammates. Clearly, there is a reason that SD Worx-Protime have the yellow bib numbers of the best team in the Tour. It does seem appropriate that the markings on the road seemed to mimic the checker flag of the winner of the race.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3969044-191-297438/Painting/almost-a-minute-tdff23-47.html

Tour de France Femmes, Stage 8, Just Underway

It was a treat to see Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) start out the final stage of this Tour de France Femmes in her Australian National TT Champion's jersey. I've got to say that FDJ know how to make a great looking national jersey for both the women and the men. I'm talking to you UAE Team ADQ and UAE Team Emirates. Brown got underway in Pau to a ride that was the best time as she finished her loop out and back to Pau. She ended her day in fourth overall once those vying for the podium of the Tour had had their say. She did well to finish the Tour in 35th as she rode in service of her teammates throughout the previous seven days of racing.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3969042-190-297438/Painting/just-underway-tdff23-46.html

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 7: The Stage, the Jersey, Perhaps the Tour!

The mist was thick atop the Tourmalet, but not so thick that we couldn't see Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) come alone to the top of the climb. She had left everyone behind. The closest to her was Niewiadoma and she came through the fog just shy of two minutes later. The effort clearly won her the stage, and her margin of victory was enough for her to take over the lead in the second Tour de France Femmes. She now leads the race by a minute and fifty seconds over the woman who was second to her on the stage. Clearly, the twenty second penalty she got back in stage four turned out to be of no consequence.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3968947-189-297438/Painting/the-stage-the-jersey-perhaps-the-tour-tdff23-45.html

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 7: Alone in the Clouds

It was stunning to watch Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) go on the attack in the final kilometers of the Tourmalet. She had dropped those she was with and went searching through the mist for the lone leader, Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM). While riding through one of the snow tunnels on the way up to the peak she caught an passed the Polish woman. Niewiadoma tried to catch the wheel of the flying Belgium, but just no longer had the legs to hold onto her wheel. I loved the sight of her climbing through the barely visible crowds looming in the low hanging cloud near the summit of the Col. With roughly five kilometers left to climb she had already put twenty-two seconds into the former leader on the road, another fifteen seconds into the former winner, Annemiek Van Vleutin, and still another forty seconds into the Maillot Jaune on the shoulders of her teammate, Lotte Kopecky.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3968946-188-297438/Painting/alone-in-the-clouds-tdff23-44.html

Tour de France Femmes 23, Stage 7: Going Again

Juliette Labous (DSM-firmenich) had tried twice to escape from the others on the Col du Tourmalet. That didn't mean she wasn't going to try one more time to slip away from Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime), Annemiek Van Vleutin (Movistar), and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal-Quick Step). She was hoping they would be to busy watching each other to see her attack from the back of the group. Alas, they weren't letting anyone else get away from them on the climb of the Tourmalet.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3968943-187-297438/Painting/going-again-tdff23-43.html