The Art of Cycling

Monday, July 20, 2026

Tour '26, Stage 15: Outsprinting Yellow!

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) had the un-enviable position of having to take on two very strong guys from the same team at the finale of Stage 15. He had climbed pedal stroke for pedal stroke with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and his teammate Isaac Del Toro. Tadej was riding as a super-domestique for Isaac in hopes of helping the Mexican Champion to both the stage win and reclaiming the Maillot Blanc of best young rider. After Del Toro had attack twice and been caught by Evenepoel, it was Evenepoel's turn to go. To pretty much everyone's surprise, Pogacar couldn't get around the former World Champion, perhaps a first this season. Some seemed to think that the Maillot Jaune let the stage go, but that would be out of character for the Maillot Jaune - unless of course it was a teammate that was going to win the stage. Evenepoel now moves into second place, with Del Toro moving into third and the Maillot Blanc. Quinn Simmons still managed a tenth place. With his teammates finishing sixth and eighth, Lidl-Trek holds onto its lead in the team classification for at least one more stage.

Now onto the rest day, that will be followed by and individual time trial. Should be interesting...

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: "Outsprinting Yellow! TdF26-114" (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 15: Fighting to Stay in White

In can be argued that Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) is the best young rider in the Tour, he is certainly the youngest rider in a very long time. Yesterday he claimed the Maillot Blanc that is awarded to the best placed rider under the age of 25 at the start of the Tour. On the climb of the Plateau de Solaison, he was in danger of losing that white jersey. On his wheel was the winner of that honor from 2025, Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Lipowitz wasn't about to help the teenager. His teammate was up the road, so Lipowitz was going to sit on the wheel and try to out sprint him for fourth on the stage. He couldn't quite manage it, finishing just behind Seixas, much as they are now. Seixas came in 52 seconds behind Isaac Del Toro who got a six second time bonus for finishing third. The Maillot Blanc will go back to Del Toro, with Seixas in second trailing by twenty-five seconds. He does move into fourth in the general classification behind Del Toro, again, by obviously the same time gap.

Purchase this painting here: "Fighting to Stay in White TdF26-113" (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 15: Grinding Up the Climb

This was the first time the Tour de France has ever scaled the Plateau de Solaison, I suspect it will be back. Once Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) hit the front with his teammate Isaac Del Toro, the only guy who could hold onto the two stars was Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). The trio was distancing Evenepoel's teammate/team rival Florian Lipowitz and the rest of any of the general classification hopefuls. It seemed like Pogacar was being a super-domestique to Del Toro. Was he planning on gifting the Mexican Champion another stage, or was he riding to get him back into the Maillot Blanc of the best young rider in the Tour? Of course, they still had to catch Quinn Simmons who was a little over a minute up the climb. Unfortunately for the American Champion, there was just under seven kilometers to go and the chasers had pulled back a half a minute in only a single kilometer. I don't think this will be the stage victory that Simmons is still seeking.

Purchase this painting here: "Grinding Up the Climb TdF26-112" (Original art by Greig Leach)

This painting has sold, but digital prints are available at the link above.

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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Sunday, July 19, 2026

Tour '26, Stage 15: With Conviction

Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) was on fire today. He jumped from the very small breakaway on the final climb of the day, the Plateau de Solaison. He chased down Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula) the former Swiss champion as they raced near the border with Switzerland. I thought he would sit on Schmid's wheel for a bit on the HC (outside category) climb, but no, he went straight on by. He was racing with the conviction that the peloton would worry too much about each other to bother chasing him. With nine more kilometers to climb to the summit and the end of the stage he still had a minute and forty-five seconds on the group containing the yellow jersey. That would be plenty of time if it was a flat stage, but this is a climb with an average of a 9% gradient.

Purchase this painting here: "With Conviction TdF26-111" (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 15: In the Blink of an Eye

Whatever the plan was for Jonas Vingegaard and his Visma=Lease a Bike team was, this surely wasn't it! I don't normally paint the crashes, but this one set the 113th Tour de France on its ear. As the peloton came into a right-hand bend littered with traffic furniture Vingegaard lost his front wheel and went down hard into the curbing on the side of the road. Several others went down with him including Fellix Grosschartner and Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) who piled on top of each other and a couple fans who got a little closer to the racers than anyone wanted. Vingegaard's teammate Sepp Kuss went down as well, but he was back up almost instantly. Not so for Vingegaard. The longer he sat on the roadside, the worse we all knew it was. When I saw the medical team bring over an arm sling, I knew his Tour was over. He has never finished worse than second (and has one twice) but this is the first time he has ever crashed out of the Tour. The peloton slowed and waited to see if he would remount. Once Del Toro caught back up to Pogacar (who had just barely avoided going down as well) he let the Maillot Jaune know that Vingegaard wasn't coming back. Once everyone knew, it was back to racing.

Purchase this painting here: "In the Blink of an Eye TdF26-110" (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 15: What Is the Plan?

That was the question on everyone's mind. What is Visma-Lease a Bike's plan? Why are they on the front of the peloton driving the pace towards the final climb of the day? Victor Campenaerts and Bruno Armirail had been called back from the breakaway to help the team pull on the front, Armirail has just swung of leaving Campenaerts to continue pulling as Edoardo Affini and Matteo Jorgenson wait for their turn. Jonas Vingegaard, back into his team kit, rides with Sepp Kuss on his wheel, ready to enact whatever plan the team his running. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) in his Maillot Jaune takes advantage of his main rival's team's work as his teammates support him and Isaac Del Toro. I am sure they, like the rest of us, are trying to figure out what the guys in black and yellow are up to. We never did find out, but that is for the next painting.

Purchase this painting here: "What Is the Plan? TdF26-109" (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 15: Quick Change

I've been looking for the moment to paint the American and Tour debutante Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon-CMA CGM). He would have preferred me not to have had this opportunity. As the peloton climbed the Cote de Mont, the climber would have rather been continuing to help his team leader the younger Paul Seixas, than to be having a bike change after a flat tire. Given the importance of keeping Riccitello with Seixas for the final kilometers of the stage, the mechanic and director sportive opted for giving him his spare bike rather than taking the time to change his rear wheel since the race was fully on now.

Purchase this painting here: "Quick Change TdF26-108" (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 15: High Fiving His Doppelganger

Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) attacked the breakaway with Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) as they started up the Col de la Croisette. Jumping out of the crowd waving an American flag was an uber-fan. Perhaps mimicking his greeting of his dad in stage 13, Simmons high fived the fan who dressed as his favorite pro cyclist. This guy seemed to have a wig and a real mustache in an effort to look like the flamboyant USA National Champion. Just to make sure everyone knew he was supposed to be, he had Simmons' logo on the front of his tank top and his photo on the back. The high five will be the topic of conversation for the rest of the fan's life. NBC/Peacock enjoyed it, too. They showed it several times, including once in slo-mo.

Purchase this painting here: "High Fiving His Doppelganger TdF26-107" (Original art by Greig Leach)

This painting has sold, but digital prints are available at the link above.

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 15: Family Time

Three days ago, we had the American Quinn Simmons spying his dad in the throngs along the side of the road. Today, it was Michal Kwiatkowski (Netcompany-Ineos) pulling out of the long line of the peloton to greet his children. It was dear to see just how excited to see their dad "at the office." The camera didn't stay with the scene long enough to see how he greeted his wife. I do hope they will get to spend the rest day as a family tomorrow. After a special yet brief moment, it was back on to the saddle and into the peloton for the former World Champion.

Purchase this painting here: "Family Time TdF26-106" (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 15: It Won't Be Today

Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-Quick Step) started today in the Maillot a Pois having moved into second place with his brilliant ride yesterday. He held the King of the Mountains title virtually, but it went back to Tadej Pogacar once he won the mountain top finish. Paret-Peintre did take the first points on the first climb of the day, but now he is tangling at the back of the peloton with Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost), Ben O'Connor (Jayco-Alula) and Pablo Castrillo (Movistar) as the large breakaway forms off the front. He went deep yesterday, so he can be forgiven for not having the legs today. He did manage to hold onto his second place in the composition, but Pogacar stretched the lead further out. More on that later.

Purchase this painting here: "It Won't Be Today TdF26-105" (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 →