Tour Stage 13: The Mountains Await

The peloton as been up a few big hills, mountains by the Island of Great Britain standards. but nothing like what is looming on the horizon.  Stage 13 started relatively easily with a category 3 climb and then a long hundred kilometer flat run at the Alps.  The break and later the peloton would end the day with a Category 1 scaling of the Col de Palaquit follow by a Haute Category trip up to the finish line at Chamrousse.  A nice size group of nine decided they wanted a head start up the first climb.  Alessandro De Marchi started it off at 5 kilometers into the stage and was joined on the first climb by Rudy Molard (Cofidis), Jan Bakelants (OPQS), Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp-Endura), and Daniel Oss (BMC).  Unfortunately for the break, Blel Kadri (AG2R) got himself in with the rest, unfortunate, because he was only ten minutes down on the Maillot Jaune.  Combine that with Katusha missing the move and it was unlikely the group would be allow to stay off of the front.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published book of the 101st Tour de France art, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order a copy, or to discover how you can be a part of bringing the art of the sport we love to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some excellent incentives for backers at every level starting at $5 USD.  Everyone who backs the project will have their name included in the special thanks page.  If you would like to purchase this painting directly, just follow the link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2404784-95-90-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U8miZs_D_IU