Sine the announcement of the course for the Richmond 2015 UCI World Road Racing Championships, I have been telling anyone who will listen that Peter Sagan would win. It is so much fun to get it right. I'm sure Sagan feels much the same way. Although he had to work very, very hard to make it happen. Sagan didn't have a big team to support him or chase down breaks so he had to ride a smart race. When the second to the last break went with such a strong group of riders including the current and a former World Champion I was worried. I literally had not seen Sagan all day (which can be a very good thing in a long bike race) and now he had missed what looked to be the decisive move. But know, he trusted the desire and ability of others to chase down the escapees. Then he had the brains to wait until the short very steep climb up the 23rd Street cobbles. He used his descending skills to push out enough of a lead that he could hold them all the way up (and there was a bit of steep up) to the line. It was wonderful to watch him be congratulated by virtually every rider in the peloton. I don't think a single rider begrudged him his victory. Perhaps now Oleg Tinkoff will shut up.... I doubt it.
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. The works were done live in the middle of the Fanfest area across from the awards podium as the racing was going on. Prints and the originals will be available before very long at
www.richmond.com (the website of the Richmond Times Dispatch newspaper).
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