Tour Stage 12: Into the Hay Bales

The race organizers of the Tour de France do all they can to keep the riders safe including placing red striped hay bales to protect the riders from unmovable dangers along the entire race course of the Tour.  So much of the race comes down to luck, some you can make, and some makes you.  Davide De La Cruz had a very unluckily timed front wheel blow out as he leaned into a hard right turn.  With his carbon rim on the pavement he had no warning or chance to keep his bike upright.  Furthering the bad luck, he took out the back wheel of Sebastien Langeveld (Garmin Sharp) sending them both into the hay bales and fans that lined the corner.  Langeveld jumped back up, and went off to catch back onto his break away companions.  De La Cruz was not so lucky, his writhing in pain left in no doubt that the hard contact with the asphalt had most likely broken his shoulder or collar bone.  Whatever the injury, his first trip to the Tour de France was now over. This is a small original watercolor and ink painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published book of my art of the 101st Tour de France, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how to become involved in bringing this amazing edition of the Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some wonderful rewards for backers at a wide variety of levels, all include your name in print on the special thanks page, and starting at $5 USD.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2404230---199992/Painting.html#.U8h8zc_D_IU