Tour Stage 18: Chatting on the Way Up

First it was Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) that sprung off of the front of the lead group on the Tourmalet, but he was quickly joined by Blel Kadri (AG2R).  Kadri is part of the French team that has the overall team lead, which in determined by the combined times of the three highest placed riders on each team.  He was also the first Frenchman to win a stage in this Tour and has worn the Polka Dot Jersey in the first half of the race.  Nieve is racing on his home roads and was on the now defunct Basque team of Euskatdel-Euskadi, with these incentives and the desire to redeem Team Sky's Tour with a stage victory, he was riding hard up the fabled climb of the Col du Tourmalet to deliver the victory on the final climb up the Hautacam.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting along with all of my artwork of the 101st Tour de France will be included in my soon to be self published tome, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy or to discover how you can be a part of bringing this beautiful race to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  Be sure to check out the generous Backer Rewards for those who choose to pledge their support to the "Book de Tour" project.  If you would like to purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But don't you want a copy of the book as well?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2407902---199992/Painting.html#.U9HVas_D_IU