Giro d'Italia Stage 8: Curbside Service

There is more to a cycling team than the guys on the bikes, there are Director Sportifs, mechanics, masseuses, medics, trainers, and the all important Soigneurs, the one's whose job title means to provide aide.  Some teams even have their own chefs and catering and nutrition departements.  The average racer will consume over 6,000 calories in a single stage, so the Soigneurs will pass out bags of food and drink in a designated feed zone to keep their energy levels topped up.  The challenge lies in passing the bags to the riders as they spin by on the open road, at least they slow down from the normal 40 kph pace.  This also tends to be one of the more dangerous sections of the race as riders dart across each other to get their meals, in addition the slinging of "musettes" over their shoulders as they catch them from the hands of the soigneurs oft winds up with straps tangled into spokes or riders hitting dropped bottles and then the road.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting (and, indeed all of my cycling art) is available for purchase from my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2365125---198213/Painting.html#.U3hjtM_D_IU