Since 1979, I have been painting with Shiva Paintstiks (they are made by Richeson Art) to create large scale paintings on paper. For my newest painting, I am sharing the process from start to finish in a series of You Tube videos like this one. At this point I have created 5 videos and am roughly half way through the painting (doing the math, I guess there will be 10 in all). We will see.
Here is the most recent video:
I hope you will take the time to watch these videos. And that you will subscribe to my channel so that you can see this bar scene come to life. As always, you can see more of my artwork on my website.
Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) seems to have been there or there abouts in nearly every sprint of this Tour but hadn't managed to win a stage coming into the finale on the Champs Elysees. Today he came right with his sprint taking the most famous of sprints in all of cycling. While he may have been helped by Peter Sagan's injuries slowing down the Maillot Vert, he got the better of John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) and Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ). I'm sorry that I couldn't get Demare into the image, but not as sorry as he was not to be the first Frenchman to win in Paris in a long, long time.
As is usually the case, none of the jersey changed hands on the final day of the Tour (although sometimes the Maillot Vert goes down to the final sprint). So it is that Geraint Thomas (Sky)wins in the Maillot Jaune. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) takes the Maillot Vert, setting a new record of points - eclipsing his own record. Pierre Latour (Ag2r La Mondiale) takes the Maillot Blanc of best young rider . And finally, Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) claims the Maillot a Pois of the King of the Mountains. I should also mention that it was Movistar that won the team competition.
This is all for this Tour, I plan on painting some fall classics and the UCI Road World Championships in September.
This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post. Since it is an original it is first come first served. The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.
First it was Peter Sagan's (Bora-Hansgrohe) lead out man, Daniel Oss who jumped free of the peloton as they came up out of the tunnel under the Place du Concorde. He was joined, and then dropped by Yves Lampaert (Quick Step) with just a kilometer left of the 105th Tour de France. Lampaert, the Champion of Belgium, had a few seconds as they turned back onto the Champs Elysees. But it looked liked he might make it, that is until the road started its gentle rise. The sprinters weren't having it and caught him within sight of the line. Oss dropped back into the peloton a hundred meters sooner.
This group of six were managing to survive off of the front of the peloton for much longer than expected. Taylor Phinney (EF Educaton First) got back into the group after his mechanical. He was being led around the l'Arc de Triomphe by Sylvain Dillier (Ag2r La Mondiale). The others lining out behind were Stefan Kung (BMC), Guillaume Martin (Wanty Groupe-Gobert), Nils Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Damien Gaudin (Direct Energie). While it is unlikely that the peloton and the sprinters therein would let them stay away, miracles can happen.
Taylor Phinney (EF Education First), another rider finishing the Tour as a member of the riding wounded, had gotten off the front of the peloton. Phinney had broken his nose, but was clearly still able to breath as he went in a break up the road. He developed a lose seat post as he bounced along the cobbles of the Champs Elysees. First he tried to get it seen to by the closest mechanic, the Mavic Neutral Service vehicle. After their attempts were unsuccessful, his team car came up to try their luck. Still a fast moving bouncing repair didn't work, and a bike change was the only answer. So much for trying not to stop. Question is, while he be able to stay off the front and rejoin his break away companions?
As the peloton rode back up the Champs Elysees it was being led by a combination of riders from three different teams all hoping to bring their sprinter over the line first. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) was hoping to take another stage, and to be the first Frenchman to win on the cobbles of this famed avenue in decades. Behind the bleu, blanc and rouge jersey were Peter Sagan's teammates of Bora-Hansgrohe and Christophe Laporte's Cofidis teammates. The green banner announces the intermediate sprint, but I have no memory of seeing that being contested.
There must be nothing more exciting for everyone who had ridden the Tour de France than the moment that they ride onto the Champs Elysees. Everyone of us who have ever raced a bike dream of one day racing up and down in the shadow of the l'Arc de Triomphe - regardless of our level or ability. After over five thousand kilometers the thrill of knowing all of the suffering is about to come to an end must tangible. The only thing now is to finish the stage, and fight to hold the wheels or take out a sprint (or escape the grasp of the peloton).
This seemed like the right image to film while I was creating it for the last day of the Tour de France. You can see this and one painting from all 21 stages of the Tour come to life on my You Tube Channel. Watch it here, but be sure to subscribe to my channel to make sure you know when I post another art tutorial, cycling tutorial or some combination of the two.
The final stage of the Tour de France is broken into two distinct parts. First the riders amble along on the way to Paris, chatting, visiting each other, and celebrating the fact that they have finished the incredible effort of racing the Tour de France. Another tradition is the toast by the winning team, or the team of the winner toasting each other over a fight well fought. Team Sky has been doing the arm and arm riding across the finish line for a while now, but today they road together toasting the horde of press motorcycles and photographers and each other. Only one of the team didn't make it to Paris. Gainni Moscon lost his temper and punched another contestant forcing his ejection from the race. On Geraint Thomas's right are Michal Kwiatkowski and Chris Froome (who was the one in Yellow for four previous Tours de France) and on his left are Wout Poels and Luke Rowe. Sadly, Egan Bernal and Jonathan Castroviejo were just out of frame. Froome's work on behalf of his teammate and friend have forced me to re-evalutate my opinion of him. He was kind, generous and did all he could once it was clear that Thomas was going to be the best place in the team, and that he would carry the Maillot Jaune to Paris.
The title says it all. Geraint Thomas (Sky) rode himself a solid individual time trial, finishing third on the stage between his teammates, Chris Froome and Michal Kwiatkowski. The Sky party was spoiled (only slightly) when Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) won the stage. The ride of Thomas ensure that he will finish the 105th Tour de France with the final Maillot Jaune, the third rider for Team Sky to win the Tour and the team's eigth Tour win. Tomorrow will be a ceremonial ride for the Welschman, but it will be a day of racing for those who want to win a stage on the fabled Champs Elysees in Paris. In the time trial only the last rider knows how he finished on the stage as he approaches the line. Thomas afforded himself a fist pump of Tour celebration just after he finished his ride (never could get a good camera angle of that moment).
Their are several ways to interprete this title. A setup I always enjoy when titling my artwork. Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) had a few objectives for today's last true day of racing in the Tour. As the World Champion of the men's individual time trial, he was looking to honor the rainbow stripes and win the stage. That goal he accomplished. Just. He was riding to keep his second place over all, thus holding steady on the GC, which he did managed to do. He held a steady even timed ride to the man trying to take his second place, Chris Froome (Sky), he accomplished that goal as well. And finally, he hoped to over take Geraint Thomas (Sky) for the yellow jersey of race leader, that he was unable to accomplish. He took a few seconds out of the Maillot Jaune, but he will have to content himself with his second second place in a grand tour in a row.
As Dumoulin was getting ready to ride, his skin suit went missing. As the announcers, Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen, were telling the story, I had a vision of Dumoulin racing the stage in the nude. Unfortunately for us all, the makers of his skin suit were able to sew up a new kit and get it to the race before such a revealing bike ride. I am sure there are many that would have enjoyed the spectacle. although probably not Tom.
The bronze medalist from the UCI Road World Championships in the Elite Men's Time Trial did not have the ride he hoped today. Primoz Roglic (Lotto NL Junbo) went out hard in the opening kilometers of the individual time trial, but faded as he climbed towards the second time check of the day. The man just behind him in the GC was the man who took silver in the Championships almost a year ago, Chris Froome (Sky). Roglic had climbed into third overall with a brilliant descent yesterday, but he must have left too much of himself on the road then, to come out fighting today. He slipped back into fourth for the ride into Paris.
This is the cheer that greeted the best place French rider in the Tour. Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) riding on a French team gave the French something to cheer for. Unfortunately, the time trial isn't his speciality. Conversely, he was far enough up on his next rival that he didn't have to worry about losing a place on the general classification. His sixth place was not what he hoped for, but at least he was in the top ten. The French have done well this year, taking both the Maillot Blanc of best young rider with Pierre Latour (Ag2r La Mondiale) and the Maillot a Pois of King of the Mountains with Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step), plus they had a total (thus far) of four stage wins. Not the Maillot Jaune, but a good Tour just the same.
The short answer to the question in this title, quite a lot. Chris Froome (Sky) had dropped to fourth place yesterday in the final mountain stage of this Tour de France. He was about nineteen seconds behind Primoz Roglic (Lotto NL Jumbo) who had won yesterday's stage. He was another sixteen seconds out of second place held by Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb). The race leader, Geraint Thomas, was a teammate and friend who currently held more than two minutes on Dumoulin. Spoiler alert, Froome just missed out on the stage victory, and moved himself firmly back into third place. Unfortunately for Froome, Dumoulin took the stage, and a whole second from the former four time winner of the Tour de France.
It amuses me when I go back over the paintings, prepping them for posting to this blog. Sometimes I find interesting mistakes, misspellings or omissions. Today in my haste to create this painting while taping it for my You Tube channel, I seemed to have omitted the final word in the title. I had intended to entitle this, "New Best Time," but clearly I did not succeed in that effort. As Marc Soler (Movistar) approached the line, it was assumed he wasn't going to take over the lead in the stage up to his finish, but he did. Unfortunately for Soler, it didn't last long. His time was better about five minutes later and again just two minutes later. Ultimately, Soler ended the day in 9th place on the stage, nothing to be ashamed of when the top three from the World Championships finished ahead of the Spaniard.
As I said, this is the painting of today's six watercolors that I filmed as I created it. As you watch this painting come to life, you can learn about the Tour, the discipline of time trialing and why I create the piece the way I do. I hope you will subscribe to the channel, so you will know when I post the next video about cycling, artmaking and what inspires me.
This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post. Since it is an original it is first come first served. The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.
Primoz Roglic (Lotto NL Jumbo) was able to carry his speed all of the way to the line. And his speed was a bit faster than those he started down the Col d'Aubisque with. Roglic came to the line in Laruns eight seconds ahead of the chasers. With his ten second time bonus he moves onto the third step of the podium ahead of the crucial time trial tomorrow. Roglic is very strong in the race of truth, have beaten Chris Froome (Sky) and finished second to Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) in the World Championships in Bregen just last fall. While Geraint Thomas (Sky) is also strong in the individual time trial discipline, it will be exciting to watch the top three in the world (who hold second through fourth on GC) battle it out for stage honors (and GC placement) on the penultimate stage of the Tour.
The very last chance to gain time on one's rivals was on the final descent of the Tour, the Col d'Aubisque. Primoz Roglic (Lotto NL Jumbo) used the fearlessness that he developed when he was an alpine ski jumper to fly down the back side of the mountain. Roglic knew that Chris Froome ahd been dropped on the final kilometer of the climb, so if he could just keep the Brit from catching back on, he could take over third in the general classification. Behind the Slovenian, Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) was using the same circumstances to improve his position ahead of the time trial tomorrow. Unfortunately for Dumoulin, the Maillot Jaune of Geraint Thomas (Sky) was right on his wheel. It certainly look like Thomas was going to give up any time, let alone two minutes to the Dutchman. Bringing up the visual tail of the group (there are more just out of sight) is the aggressor of the stage, Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale).
I haven't commented on it yet, but this is the first Tour I have ever watched where it hasn't rained. I hope I am not jinking the peloton for the last two days of the Tour. In fact only at the top of the Col d'Aubisque have I even seen clouds. Of course, given the height of the final climb of the Tour, the riders were in these clouds. By this point over the summit, the stage hopefuls and the general classification guys have all joined up on the front of the race. Bob Jungels (Quick Step) and Gorka Izaguirre (Bahrain Merida) are both hanging on to the back of the group in the respective national jerseys. The group is being lead by the Sky duo of Egan Bernal and Chris Froome. Froome has now become a super domestique (super-duper to say the least) for the Maillot Jaune of his teammate Geraint Thomas. Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) still hopes to upset the apple cart although it looks less and less likely with every pedal stroke, and the ever agressive Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) is still hoping for another stage victory.
While I was painting this I was thinking I would entitle it, "Watching the Principles" but I started writing the word "the" and I was kind of stuck. These are still the principle players in this Tour being led by the young Colombian, Egan Bernal (Sky) sandwiched between the Sky duo of Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome (both on the road and on GC) is Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb). At his point, Dumoulin must be trying to figure out how he is going to pull back time on the Maillot Jaune of Thomas. He has finally gotten ahead of Froome only to have that not be enough to put him in yellow.
The thought for the alternative title comes from the race referee who has popped his head out of the sunroof of the following race vehicle. He is just making sure there are no vechicles between the various groups of cyclists that could offer an unfair aerodynamic advantage to one or another.
When Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) left the front group, it didn't look like anyone was going to counter his move. Just a few moments later, Mikel Landa (Movistar) recognized the strength of Bardet's move. Landa jumped up to the main in brown and blue. The pair pressed their advantage on the uncatagorized climb before the final mountain of the Tour. Unfortunately for this duo, the peloton (or at least the yellow jersey group) was closing from behind.
Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) wasn't going to carry everyone to the finish. So he chose the Col des Borderes to leave his break away companions. He clearly has designs on getting a fourth stage for the French today, as well as the first for his team and himself. Bardet looks back over his shoulder to see who could come with him. Behind it looks like Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic), Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Mikel Landa (Movistar) were late to respond to the Frenchman's attack.
With just one more stage in the mountains, nearly everyone who could was out on the offensive. Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha-Alpecin) wasn't having the Tour he had hoped for. Quite a few of his teammates went out of the race in the early stages due to crashes and illness. And then he just didn't have the legs, until today. As this foursome off the front rides through one of the snow tunnels on the Col du Tourmalet, he peers back over his shoulder to see just how many of his erstwhile breakaway companions they had gotten rid of. The Zakarin group is being led my Mikel Landa (Movistar), Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale). All were hoping to be the ones to stay away for a stage victory. Two of the teams represented have yet to win a stage this year, the others have a tiny bit of pressure eased from their team managers.
At this point in the Tour, the struggle is very real, for everyone. While Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrophe) is suffering from the injuries recieved on a fall two stages ago, everyone from the first to the last on general classification are in a world of hurt - except, possiblily those who have already gone home. Sagan was struggling up the first big climb up the Col d'Aspin. He had hurt his gluteous maximus (his butt) and just pedaling was a struggle. He is being escorted up the climbs by his teammate and friend Daniel Oss. Others joined the riding wounded and suffering sprinters including Maximiliano Richeze (Quick Step). Sagan's goal today is to survive, get to the finish before the time limit and try and recover as much as possible. With an Individual Time Trial tomorrow, he just has to ride as easy as possible and hope he will be ready for the sprint on the Champs Elysee to wrap up the Tour.
This is the painting from this stage that you can watch being created on my You Tube Channel. I hope you enjoy watching this watercolor come to life as I talk about the Tour, creating successful watercolors and whatever art and cycling issues that come to mind as I paint. I encourage you to subscribe to the channel so you will know when I post another video of my artistic process.
Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) has been just barely finishing inside the time limit for the last two days. The joke is that sprinters are allergic to the mountains. What makes a fast sprinter usually turns them into bad climbers. It is all about fast twitch muscles and weight to power ratios. Today, he got to make all of the suffering worth the effort. He was able to claim his first stage of the Tour and the third stage for the French. Nicely for the French, it was Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) who took second, making it one/two for the French and for French teams. Still hanging about for third was the European Champion, Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates). He was able to add to his sprinter points total, but Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) took eighth on the stage despite being banged up on stage 17.
And he is still in the race! Lawson Craddock (EF Education First), the American who crashed badly on the first day of the Tour is still hanging on the back of the peloton. He broke his scapula and got a bunch of stitches over his left eye. He decided he would donate a $100 for every day he could stay in the Tour, and challenged others to donate as well. He has raised over $120,000 for a Houston, Texas velodrome that was destroyed on the hurricane last year. Ahead of the American ride Rory Sutherland (UAE Team Emirates), Wout Poels (Sky) the loyal hard working teammate of Chris Froome, and the Maillot a Pois of Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step). With just 12 K left to ride today, Alaphilippe dropped back to save his legs for the last day of climbing tomorrow. It is doubtful that anyone can take the jersey from him, he is sure to go in the break again on stage 19.
Ironically, I was congratulating myself this morning on not having duplicated a title for the first 95 paintings of this Tour. And then I called this one "Rolling Along" and blew that stat. This is a group of five that the peloton wasn't interested in letting go. While Niki Terpstra (Quick Step) was pushing hard on the front, the peloton never gave them more than two minutes. Joining the former Dutch national champion were two riders from Mitchelton-Scott, Matthew Heyman and Luke Durbridge, along with the French sprinter, Thomas Boudet (Direct Energie) and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Wanty-Groupe Gobert). With today and Paris the last chances for the sprinters to get a stage, neither I nor more importantly the peloton were giving any chance of this break succeeding.
Every road stage, with the exception of yesterday, begins with a neutral start. The group rolls out for as much as 15 kilometers before the race gets truly underway. This allows the riders to warm up their legs and to get themselves sorted out. Some want to be right up at the front to start their attempts to get in the break. Others want to get out of the way of the early aggressions, and others just want to ease in to the day. Never the less, when Christian Prudhomme drops that flag at the 0 kilometer marker, it is time to race.
See this painting come to life at my You Tube channel where I hope you will become a subscriber. When you are there, you will be able to see one painting from every stage thus far being created as I talk about the race, the painting and many things cycling and art.
This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post. Since it is an original it is first come first served. The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.
And it is a treat to see the Nairo Quintana (Movistar) that I was so excited about in the Tour years ago. It was said that this is the first stage of the Tour that Quintana has won since 2013, hard to believe. Quintana started this effort at the base of the climb and simply rode away from everyone. The only one who seemed able to even come close to matching his speed was Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) who claimed second on the day. The gesture seems odd, but he had just finished raising his hands in a prayful gesture before spreading his arms in celebration. As you can tell, the climb was the tallest around. Quintana not only climbed the mountain, but he climbed into fifth place overall.
With just one mountain stage left to race, it is unlikely he will be able to improve anymore. But all things are possible.
With Chris Froome (Sky) cracking on the final meters of the climb, it was Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) who went on the attack. His move was quickly covered by the Maillot Jaune of Geraint Thomas (Sky) and then joined by the Lotto NL Jumbo duo of Steven Kruijswijk and Primoz Roglic. All were hoping to move up with the collapse of Froome. All that is except Thomas. He was just making sure he kept his race lead, and apparently now the leadership of Team Sky. Over the shoulders of this group is nothing but mist and clouds as they top the Col du Portet.
Yes, Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) are up the road, but the top positions on the general classification seemed to be holding each other's wheels. There isn't much change happening despite the pre-stage billing for fireworks on this final climb. Right now, Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) is on the back of the select group being led by Egan Bernal (Sky), with the maillot jaune of Geraint Thomas (Sky) on his wheel. Next in line is Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) and then it is Mikel Nieve (Movistar) and, oddly, Chris Froome (Sky) is hanging around the back. Somewhere, but not in this painting, are two riders from Lotto NL Jumbo. Just after I finished this painting, Bardet lost the wheel of Froome and slipped back down the mountain, and the GC. I should point out the Orca on the back of Sky's jerseys. They are supporting Ocean Rescue and drawing attention to the plastic pollution of our oceans.
The fans on the side of the road do seem to be getting out of the way. No one wants to take another big man of the Tour out of the race. It is funny to see the one fan with the "Sagan" sign. This isn't exactly the kind of terrain where the world champion shines.
The attacking pace of Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was just barely held by the Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe). The two caught (and passed) the erstwhile leader on the road, Tanel Kangert (Astana). Kangert had gotten away on the first climb of the day. He had been leading the race until being caught with just over ten kilometers left to climb. It hadn't been as far as a normal stage, but it certainly had been as hard, if not harder.
The members of the peloton have quite a bit of respect for each other. These two had fought out the stage victory yesterday. Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) had chased Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) down the final mountain, only passing Yates as the Brit crashed on a corner near the bottom. Today, as Alaphilippe was dropping back to the peloton, and Yates was chasing up to the break away, they patted each other on the back. Seemingly, Alaphilippe was wishing Yates his stage victory that he was deprived of in Stage 16.
Behind these two, one of the many Gendarme that protect the riders and attempt to control the crowd watches them (and the fans nearby). The Gendarme caught a lot of grief for how they handled the farmer's protest yesterday. They used mace to clear the protesters from the roadway, but sprayed many members of the peloton in the process. Sorry I didn't get any paintings of the fracas, but it happened off camera.
Attacks were expected from the very start of the shortest road stage of the Tour from the moment the racers got the green light. Without a neutralized start and right on to the first climb of the day most thought it would be a general classification race from the get-go. Instead it wasn't until the base of the final climb, the Col du Portet that the first move was made. The first to go was Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) who was quickly countered by Nairo Quintana (Movistar). Both riders have had bad luck in the first week of the Tour, and both were much lower down on the general classification than they had hoped and that their talent would leave us all to suspect. Behind them, Geraint Thomas (Sky) lifted the pace to chase. The rest of the his team kept their usual tempo, and Thomas soon joined them. The attacking duo was too far down to effect them, so Sky was going to force others to chase.
You can watch this painting, along with one painting from every stage of the Tour thus far, come to life on my You Tube Channel. I hope you will watch, give it a thumbs up, and become a subscriber. I talk about the Tour, bike racing and how to create interesting and vibrant watercolors as I draw and paint this piece of live artwork.
Before the race goes through the crowds, the leading publicity caravan showers gifts on the fans along the route. Carrefour, who sponsors the King of the Mountain competition, passes out polka dot t-shirts and caps. Clearly these two young boys were able to grap a souvenir. And then they got to be up close to see Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) in his Maillot a Pois lead Kristijan Durasek (UAE Team Emirates) and Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) up the Col de Peyresourde. The photographer in black, had gotten off of his moto to get this shot. Fortunately he was able to jump out of Alaphilippe's way in time. If I have done the math right, Alaphilippe needs to score maximum points atop this climb, to ensure that he will be on the podium as the King of the Mountains in Paris, even if he scores no other points in the final stages of the Tour.
Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) had taken the first stage in the Alps. At that point he donned the Maillot a Pois and became the first Frenchman to win a stage in the 105th Tour de France. Today, the first day in the Pyrenees, he again took the stage. He is the only guy to have won a stage for France, but at least they have two stage victories now. As I looked back over these paintings from today's stage I realize that only one painting wasn't of a Quick Step rider. But then they are the ones that dictated the stage. Philippe Gilbert was awarded the most aggressive rider, and Alaphilippe added to his Maillot a Pois and took the stage. It was basically a day off for the peloton and the GC riders. Tomorrow's short hard stage must have had them not wanting to spend any extra effort today. The Team Sky led peloton came in Almost nine minutes behind the stage winner today. Although it was Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) that was chased in by the broom wagon a full forty one minutes behind the stage winner.
As the Maillot a Pois implies, Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) is good at going up the mountains. But he might be even better coming back down the other side. Alaphilippe summitted the final climb of the Col du Portillon trailing Adam Yates (Mitchelton Scott) by 19 seconds. He was catching back up with the Englishman when Yates slid out on a wet corner. Alaphilippe had no such problems in the same corner, or any other one. He is a scary marvel to watch on the way down a mountain. As he was pulling away from the chasers, and Yates who closed back up to third on the day, he was certain he was going to take his second stage of this year's Tour. This may have been the last sharp turn before the streets of Bagneres de Luchon.
On the final climb of the day, the Col du Portillon, Robert Gesnik (Lotto NL Jumbo) jumped free of the dwindling break away. With a sharp drop down to the finish town of Bagneres de Luchon it was a strong probablility that whomever went over the top first would take the stage win. Gesnik's attack was covered by Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain-Merida) as the pair charged up the final five kilometers to the summit. Behind, you can just catch sight of Adam Yates (Mitchelton Scott) trying to bridge across to the leaders. Spoiler alert, he did. And was in the lead on the descent until he slid out in a wet corner.
I felt it was necessary to include this painting. After being check out on the side of the road, Philippe Gilbert (Quick Step) got back on the bike and back into the race. Once he was riding again, he dropped back to the ambulance to get his wounds cleaned out. Infection is a constant worry, and stomach aliments have sent a few riders home from this Tour. As far as I know now, Gilbert suffered little more than some cuts and bruises. I will leave it to other cycling websites to tell that story. Like Gilbert I want to get back to the race.
