The Art of Cycling: February 2024

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Men’s Race: An Emphatic Win!

Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike) had out foxed the seasoned Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) in the final kilometers of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Not only had he made the German do most of the work in the final five kilometers, he made sure he was on the front as the went under the flame rouge. Politt is not the best of sprinters (his strengths lie elsewhere), so he had little hope of being able to drop the smaller Tratnik once he started his sprint. As the Visma man went away, Politt dropped his head in defeat then looked back to make sure the chasers weren’t going to steal his podium spot. Meanwhile, Tratnik celebrated his well ridden victory (and that of his team) as the crush of the cycling press photographed away. Moments later, Tratnik’s teammate Wout Van Aert out sprinted the rest of the field to claim third in this year’s Omloop.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/4001385-553-195767/Painting/an-emphatic-win-ohn24-10.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Men’s Race: Won’t You Work?

The former German National Champion Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) was getting a bit frustrated with Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike). Politt had made the move that got away from the rest of the leading group and then was joined by Tratnik, a move that Visma had been pulling repeatedly over the last fifty kilometers. However once the man in yellow had joined Politt, he left the German to do all of the work. Politt wanted to stay away from the chasers that contained some strong sprinters. His only hope was to ride alone into the final meters of the race. There seemed to be no way that Tratnik was going to let that happen. The two had eighteen seconds on those behind with under six kilometers left to race.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/4001382-552-195767/Painting/wont-you-work-ohn24-9.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Men’s Race: Who Do We Have Now?

With a teammate up the road, both Wout Van Aert and Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) soft pedaled to discourage others from chasing Matteo Jorgenson. The problem was, that allowed those chasing behind to join in to the mid race break away. Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek) seems to be scolding Laporte for letting Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar), Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates) back into the race. Just behind this group, another was just seconds behind. After looking like the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was going to come down to a six man race, everything suddenly changed with just eleven kilometers left to race. It was looking like it may come down to a field sprint after all.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/4001378-551-195767/Painting/who-do-we-have-now-ohn24-8.html

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Men’s Race: No One Chased

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) was the third of his teammates to attack the other three in the break away. Whether it was that the other two attacks had tired the others in the break or whether it was that they didn’t quite recognize the American as a big threat to go solo for nineteen kilometers, no one chased Jorgenson. He quickly build up thirteen seconds on his erstwhile companions and another thirty-five seconds to the closing peloton. Whatever the reason it was great to see him off the front in his new team’s colors. Unfortunately for him the remaining kilometers contained two of the hardest climbs of the entire 202 kilometers of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/4001332-550-195767/Painting/no-one-chased.-ohn24-7.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Men’s Race: Still Working Together

The late break of the day was a dream come true for Visma-Lease a Bike. They had managed to get three of there guys into the break. While Christophe Laporte was one the front driving the pace of the group of escapees, Matteo Jorgenson and Wout Van Aert were able to conserve their energy at the back. It was a nightmare for the other three in the group. Tom Pidcock (Ineos-Grenadiers), Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek) and Arnuad De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) were going to be forced to chase each of the moves one of the Visma guys made or conversely, should any one of them try an attack one of the Visma guys can chase while the others continue to save themselves for the finale. All the while, these six were continuing to build a gap on the peloton that was now over a minute behind.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/4001329-549-195767/Painting/still-working-together.-ohn23-6.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Women’s Race: A Perfect Sprint

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Elisa Longo Borghini and Shirin Van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) had all tried in turn to drop the Dutchwoman, Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), but to no avail. As each woman feared, when it came time to sprint the final 400 meters to the finish, it was Vos who had the legs to out sprint both Kopecky (in second) and Longo Borghini (in third). With her win Vos was able to show in no uncertain terms that she was still a force to be reckoned with in the women’s peloton. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the Flanders Classics play out over the coming month.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Professional-Womens-Cycling/4001218-71-207546/Painting/a-perfect-sprint.-ohn24-5.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Women’s Race: One of These Four

This foursome of Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and her teammate, Shirin Van Anrooij, along with Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) had built up a twenty three second lead on the five chasers behind. They in turn had another minute and a half on the remnants of the peloton. So with just under ten kilometers to race, it seems that the winner will be one of these four women. Longo Borghini has the advantage with a teammate in the group, but her long solo attempt may have drained too much energy from her legs. With that, the advantage then swings to Vos, who has the best sprint of the group (all things being equal). It will be exciting to see the race strategies play out as they draw ever closer to the flame rouge. The one thing they can’t do is play cat and mouse and let the chasers back into the race.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Professional-Womens-Cycling/4001190-70-207546/Painting/one-of-these-four.-ohn24-4.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Women’s Race: Attacking on the Kapelmuur

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), in her rainbow jersey, uses the steepest section of the fabled cobbled climb of the Kapelmuur to launch her attack on the small group left at the front of the race. She gets a little daylight between herself and the others at first. But, it is Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) who is able to get back onto the World Champion’s wheel. Kopecky used this climb to ride solo to her win in 2023, and she couldn’t have been thrilled to see the former champion holding onto her on the climb. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) lost a bit of ground on the climb, but quickly got back to the two leaders once on the smooth roads over the top.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Professional-Womens-Cycling/4001101-69-207546/Painting/attacking-on-the-kopelmuur.-ohn24-3.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Women’s Race: Still Own Her Own

Ten kilometers later, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) was still not caught by the chasers, the only difference was now there was no longer anyone ahead of her to catch. She had built a twenty second lead on the group of chasers, but they were slowly reeling her back in cutting her lead almost in half with another nineteen kilometers left to race. Unfortunately for the reigning Italian Champion, there were two short steep climbs between her and a possible solo victory.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Professional-Womens-Cycling/4001043-68-207546/Painting/still-on-her-own.-ohn24-2.html

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Women’s Race: Here Comes the Chase

While there were still five women up the road, the race was shaping up after Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) jumped clear of the peloton. The next group of chasers, lead by Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), used the climb of the Berendries to try and reel the Italian Champion back into their midst. With another 29 kilometers to race, it was looking like the 57 second advantage of the leaders would soon be swept away.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Professional-Womens-Cycling/4001034-67-207546/Painting/here-comes-the-chase.-ohn24-1.html