Gullegem, Men's Cyclocross: Pulling Away

Not waiting until the final lap, Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) went to the front and started to push the pace.  He managed to shake the Belgium Champion, Eli Iserbyt (Pawels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines).  The two traded leads around the remaining lap and a half with Van Aert finally managing to take the lead for good in the closing 500 meters.  This is the first cyclocross win for the three-time champion this season.  It was some brilliant racing today, all of the way to the last sand pit.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Pulling Away CX-G25-6" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Gullegem, Men's Cyclocross: Quite Close

For those who follow my cycling art, you will know that I love to use titles that have mutliple interpretations.  This is just such a title, and painting.  As in all road cycling events, fans of the sport can get very, very close to their cycling heros.  In addition, the front four had gotten quite close together as they came out of one of the many hairpin turns on course.  As they made their way around the third lap at Gullegem, it was Michael Vanthourenhout (Pawels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) leading the Crelan-Corendon duo of Laurens Sweeck and Emil Verstrynge eating the mud flying off of his wheel.  Closing back onto the trio's wheels is Wout Van Aerts (Visma-Lease a Bike).  The now quartet of riders have built up about a five second lead over those chasing on the third lap.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Quite Close CX-G25-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Gullegem, Men's Cyclocross: Mud And Sand

In the early going of Gullegem it was yesterday's winner, Laurens Sweeck (Ccrelan-Corendon) leading Wout Van Aerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) - who is racing his second cyclocross race of the season - off of the muddy track and onto the sole sand pit of the course.  Behind the Belgium duo it was Felipe Orts Lloret (Ridley Racing Team) - the Spanish Champion - was just managing to hang on to the leaders.  With another seven trips through the sand to go, it wasn't looking like Lloret would still be there at the end.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Mud And Sand CX-G25-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Gullegem, Women's Cyclocross: Laying on the Power

In the final lap of Gullegem Superprestige series, it was Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) laying down a blistering pace in the mud to pull away from the rest of the field.  By this point, she has put four seconds into her nearest competitor on her way to winning the race.  With this win she moves into first place in the series with just one more race left to go.  It was a photo finish between the former leader of the series, Ceylin del Carmen Avardo and the Brit, Zoe Backstedt.  Chapeau!

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Laying on the Power CX-G24-3" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Gullegem, Women's Cyclocross: Almost On

After a bit of a struggle on the first lap in Gullegem, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) was getting to catch back onto the leading trio.  At this point on the second lap, she has both Leonie Brentveld (Pawels Sauzen-Cibel Clementines) and Zoe Backstedt (Canyon-SRAM) within her sight.  Also there, but not visible at this angle is the woman leader her in the Superprestige series, Ceylin del Carmen Alvaredo (Fenix-Deceuninck).  With such a slippery and muddy course, her Dutch Champion's jersey is clearly getting rather speckled in muck, just another exciting element of cyclocross.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Almost On CX-G24-2" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Gullegem, Women's Cyclocross: Muck and Mire

Today's course in Gullegem was set up to be a muddy run through a meadow in Belgium.  In the first of five laps, it was Zoe Backstedt (Canyon-SRAM) leading Ceylin del Carmen Alvardeo (Fenix-Deceuninck), Leonie Bentveld (Pawel Sauzen-Cibel Clementines), Aniek van Alphen (Cyclocross Reds) and the rest of the peloton through the longer mud field.  Not a fan of sloshy muddy shows this just doesn't seem very pleasant to me.  Still, mud, muck and mire seems to be the common denominator in all cyclocross events.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Muck and Mire CX-G25-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Men's Cyclo-Cross: Chasing the Podium

Try as he might Toon Aerts (Deschacht-Hens-FSP) just wasn't able to bridge up to the two leaders today in the sands of Koksijde.  On the up side, those chasing him were unsuccessful as well.  Aerts claimed the final step of the podium in the cold wins and deep sand on the edge of Belgium and the North Sea.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Chasing the Podium CX-K25-6" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Men's Cyclo-Cross: Surfing the Sand

Every sport has its own jargon, and cyclo-cross is no different.  Today I learned that there is such a thing as 'surfing the sand.'  It means to ride relaxed when in the deep sand.  The trick (apparently) is to keep one's speed up and to not fight the bike too much.  Today in the early laps, Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was giving a master class to the master of sand behind him, Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon).  However, Sweeck soon came back and eventually won today's race in Koksijde, with del Grosso finishing the day in second place.  I believe each man had their best finish thus far this season.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Surfing the Sand CX-K25-5" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Men's Cyclo-Cross: A Slight Advantage

The young Dutchman Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was having an incredible race against one of the masters in the sand, Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Cortendon).  While they were only into the second lap, he had built up a ten second lead over the man nicknamed "the Sandman."  Surprisingly, not only was he putting time into the more experienced Belgium in the sand, he was also doing it on the harder mud packed surfaces of the course.  

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"A Slight Advantage CX-K25-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Women's Cyclo-Cross: Making Her Own Track

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) made her own track through the deep sand on course in Koksijde.  Pieterse won my heart in her amazing ride and stint in the Maillot a Pois in this past Tour de France Femmes.  I was disappointed not to see her win earlier in the week, but she came back with vengeance at the end of today's race claiming her first cross victory of the season by twenty seconds over the reigning World and Dutch Champions.  I might fast becoming a fan of Cyclo-Cross.  At least of the women's races.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Making Her Own Track CX-K25-3" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Women's Cyclo-Cross: Climbing the Dune

It is just sand that makes Koksijde so difficult.  Within sight of the start line the peloton faces a wall of sand that can only be scaled by shouldering one's bike and running up the deep sand.  I can't imagine scaling this once, let alone the five times that the pro women managed this feat.  At this point the Dutch Champion, Lucinda Brand (Baloise Glowi Lions) is leading the World Champion, Fem vamn Empel (Visma-Lease a Bike) up the climb as they both chase the sole leader already down the other side.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Climbing the Dune CX-K25-2" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Women's Cyclo-Cross: Sand Pit

I've been stuck at home nursing my first bout of Covid and have gotten into watching Cyclo Cross.  It took me a couple of races, but I am really starting to get into it.  However, watching the pros race, I have decided that it would be foolish for me to give it a go after all.  I figured, if I am watching, I might as well paint the racing, too.

This is the Women's Koksijde race in the extreme north of Belgium that features sand dunes as the major challenge to the riders.  This is the second dune the peloton faced and is being led by Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) who is just about to remount at the top of the climb.  Behind her, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) is taking her last steps before swinging her bike off her back and back under her for the descent.

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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Sand Pit CX-K25-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)