Tour '26, Stage 4: Letting Yellow Go

After UAE Team Emirates chased down yesterday's breakaway and Tadej Pogacar claimed the stage and the Maillot Jaune, it was a little odd to see them let the breakaway get so far up the road today.  I know there were a lot of people complaining that they were being too greedy online, but I can't image they cared much about that.  However, the top ten on the general classification sat in the UAE led peloton all day as the gap grew out to fourteen minutes by the time they reached Foix.  The top ten all dropped down three places, but I guess they aren't worried too much about those now on the top steps of the podium over the long haul.  As they neared the 4K to go banner, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) sat on the wheel of his teammates with Brandon McNulty in front of him and Isaac Del Toro behind.  Both Del Toro and Pogacar gave away their White and Yellow jersey respectfully.  On Del Toro's shoulder is Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek).  It was his two teammates who took first and second on the stage.  The rest of his team was right behind him.  So far this Tour nothing is going as expected.  And that is a good thing!

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: "Letting Yellow Go TdF26-30" (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 4: Winning the Stage & the Maillot Vert

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was able to hang with the breakaway from the large breakaway over the final two climbs of the day thus being able to sprint it out for the stage win in Foix.  It wasn't really in question that he would win the sprint as he was the only sprinter left out of the remaining ten.  Clearly, he won handedly as you can tell by this view of his victory salute.  His teammate, who had helped to bring him to the line, Quinn Simmons, took second on the stage just ahead of Pablo Castrillo (Movistar).  It would be another fourteen minutes before the erstwhile Maillot Jaune and the rest of the peloton got to this point in downtown Foix.  Tomorrow, Pedersen will start the sprint stage already in the sprinter's Green Jersey.  Chapeau!

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: "Winning the Stage & the Maillot Vert TdF26-29" (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 4: Who Is Where?

First, I admit that I take pleasure that the two Americans in this painting are both Quinns.  Silly, I know, but then so am I (at times).  Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) looks back to see where is rival to take the Maillot Jaune today is.  Both he and the Norwegian Torstein Traeen (Uno X-Mobility) have a very strong chance of being the next to pull on the Maillot Jaune with they reach Foix.  Quinn will have to gain thirty-three seconds on Traeen to have the honor of the Yellow Jersey.  Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) is looking back to make sure his team's sprinter Mads Pedersen is still in the group.  I am sure he would love to win the stage for himself, but he and another teammate are there for their sprinter to have the best chance at a stage win and claiming the Maillot Vert.  Mixing it with the Americans and the Norwegian are Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) along six other hopefuls.  I should point out here that Traeen did gain enough time to claim the Maillot Jaune with an almost eight-minute advantage over Tadej Pogacar.  Sean Quinn sits in second 28 seconds behind the Norwegian. Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), also a member of the breakaway, rounds out the third step of the podium in Foix.

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 Is Where? TdF26-28" (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 4: Hot as Hell

I'm always excited to spot Didi Stenft aka 'The Devil' out along the side of the road during the Tour de France.  It seemed appropriate to find the Devil on the hottest Tour stage in the 113-year history of the race.  I think the temperatures had even gotten to Didi.  Rather than his traditional, and impressive, high leaps into the air, he opted instead to stand atop something along the side of the road as the peloton sped by.  I did spy him during yesterday's stage, but he was so mashed in with fellow cycling fans that all I could see was his trident and the tips of his horns.  It is a bit odd to see him so early in the Tour, too.

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: "Hot as Hell TdF26-27" (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 4: Maximum Points

Most of the marquee sprinters had managed to get into the large breakaway.  For the first time this Tour they were all able to sprint for maximum points at the intermediate sprint.  Again, it was Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling) getting the better of both Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Mads Petersen (Lidl-Trek) at the line in Quillan.  Pedersen's third place moves him much closer to his target of wearing the Maillot Vert of the Green Jersey.  It is worth noting that all three of these guys have won the jersey in previous Tours.  Now that they have gotten what they hoped for out of the intermediate sprint, will they sit up and go back to the trailing peloton?  Only Pedersen pressed on in the breakaway, the other two went back in hopes of saving their energy for the sprint stage tomorrow.

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: "Maximum Points TdF26-26" (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 4: Adding to His Total

It was great to see Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros) back vying to reclaim his Maillot a Pois that he earned back in Stage 2.  He fell apart and cede the jersey to Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost).  He was able to out sprint Baudin's teammate Georg Steinhauser to get the maximum points atop the Col du Paradis.  The Bahrain-Victorious duo Robert Stannard and Vlad Van Mechelen were only able to watch the others earn points on the Category 3 climb.  

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: "Adding to His Total TdF26-25" (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 4: Down the Back

The story of today is the very large breakaway that got off the front of the peloton today.  At one point there were 34 men in the escape group representing all by five teams that started the Tour in Barcelona.  It was nice to see the tri-colore of the French Champion Romain Gregoire (Groupama FDJ-United).  He was hanging around the back of the group with his countryman Kevin Vauquelin (Netcompany-Ineos), the Czech Champion Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek), Nelson Oliviera (Movistar), and Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula).  The group has built up just over five-and-a-half minutes on the peloton containing all of the race favorites.  It feels like the peloton is taking a big risk, but then the two guys that are currently in the virtual first and second places are not realistic threats to carry the Maillot Jaune all of the way to Paris.  Given that UAE Team Emirates chased down yesterday's breakaway (and got a lot of grief online about that) it remains to be seen if they will pull this group back.  Conversely, this many members of the break will make it difficult to reel them back in if they don't start chasing soon.

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: "Down the Back TdF26-24" (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: 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)

 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: 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

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: 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

Learn More About the Artist →