I learned today that the Ballon d'Alsace was the first mountain ever climbed in the Tour de France. It was introduced to the Grand Boucle back in 1905. We just missed celebrating the 120th anniversary of this climb by a year. I doubt that was foremost in the mind of Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) as he led the breakaway over the summit of the Category One climb. Pidcock is known as an incredible descender so he may have wanted to be the first to start down the other side of the mountain. He was followed in turn by Luke Plapp (Jayco-Alula) and Plapp's teammate Mauro Schmid. The next two over the summit were the two Frenchmen Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) and Kevin Vauquelin (Netcompany-Ineos). As they crested the Ballon, the peloton was back down the mountain almost eight-and-a-half minutes behind. At this point Pidcock has moved into second place virtually. I suspect that the peloton will start chasing under the impetuous of those teams whose leaders are losing their places in the general classification.
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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.
Purchase this painting here: "Over the Summit TdF26-89" (Original art by Greig Leach)
Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach
And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach
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