Tour, Stage 9: Celebrating in the Rain

Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) had been dangling off the back of the peloton most of the day, but somehow found the strength to hold on up the penultimate climb of the day.  As the break rode across the valley floor on the way to the mountain top summit at Andorre Arcalis, the Dutchman went long for the win on the day before the first rest day of the Tour.  Dumoulin was able to keep his focus as the skies opened, dumping ice buckets on his head as plowed a lone furrow up the last mountain of the day.  I had thought about calling this, "Singing in the Rain," but then thought better of it.  Besides, I doubt he had enough air in his lungs to sing, but he sure could celebrate in the rain (and hail)!  Chapeau!

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  While you are on the site, be sure to check out my other works of art and my two cycling books.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Bear in mind that this is a one of a kind original and once it is gone, it is gone.

To buy this painting, follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2822218-65-224974/PaintingCelebrating%20in%20the%20Rain%20TdF65-Greig-Leach.html#.V4MDqLgrLIU

Tour, Stage 9: A Hail Storm of Attacks

Mother Nature showed her sense of humor at the end of today's stage.  The irony is that the peloton had been sticking ice packs under their jerseys in hopes of keeping cool only to have nature dump buckets of ice on their heads over the final kilometers of the stage.  Since the top GC contenders were so close to each other on time, each attacked the other in hopes of stealing the Maillot Jaune off of the shoulders of the defending Tour champion, Chris Froome (Team Sky).  BMC had the advantage of having two well placed riders, leaving Richie Porte (BMC) to go on the offensive, leaving Tejay van Garderen poised to mop up the pieces should either Porte falter or the other contenders crack.  With each acceleration or counter attack, Froome appeared to have the answer and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was the only one who was able to stay glued to the Team Sky leader.  You should know that Porte use to be Froome's final ally in the mountains when they were both on the same team at Sky.  At the end of the day, Froome held his own, with only Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchane) and Quintana who came across the line with Froome.  Porte gave away another two seconds, while his teammate van Garderen lost just over a minute, and with that BMC is no longer the highest place team in the Tour.  The honor of the yellow helmets and bib numbers now switches over to Movistar.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  While you are on the site, be sure to check out my other works of art and my two cycling books.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Bear in mind that this is a one of a kind original and once it is gone, it is gone.

To buy this painting, follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2822215-64-224974/PaintingA%20Hail%20Storm%20of%20Attacks%20TdF64-Greig-Leach.html#.V4MAQbgrLIU

Tour, Stage 9: Going Up in Andorra

Although Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) was still up the road Rafal Majka (Tinkoff) still bridged across to the former World Champion Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida).  The Polish National Champion and wearer of the Maillot a Pois that marks him as the King of the Mountains.was attacking in hopes of being the first to the summit to hang onto his polka dots.  Majka also hoped to bring a little joy into the team bus now that the leader of Tinkoff, Alberto Contador, had abandoned the Tour.  Neither of these riders hail from Norway, but that didn't keep the Norwegian cycling fans from showing their joy in seeing the legends of cycling ride by.  I don't think they were hoping to see a countryman at the front of the race, both Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) are known more for their sprinting prowess than for flying up a mountain.  That being said, I seem to recall that the young Norwegian Vegard Breen (Fortuneo Vital Concept) spent a day vying for the red dots, in an early break away.  Sondre Holst Enger (IAM Cycling) is the final Norwegian in this year's Tour.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  While you are on the site, be sure to check out my other works of art and my two cycling books.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Bear in mind that this is a one of a kind original and once it is gone, it is gone.

To buy this painting, follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2822206-63-224974/PaintingGoing%20Up%20in%20Andorra%20TdF63-Greig-Leach.html#.V4L7obgrLIU

Tour, Stage 9: Starting the Climb Alone

As the race continued on the roads of Andorra, it was the Dutch rider, Tom Dumoulin sporting the new colors of Giant-Alpecin), who arrived at the base of the final climb on his own.  I want to point out that the area around the base of the inflatable de-marking the beginning of the ascent up to Andorre Arcalis, is cordoned off to prevent a repeat of the end of stage 7.  It has been reported that a spectator's belt buckle caught on the plug of the generator that was keeping the arch inflated.  I'm not sure a little yellow caution tape was going to keep everyone away when the race nears a summit.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  While you are on the site, be sure to check out my other works of art and my two cycling books.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Bear in mind that this is a one of a kind original and once it is gone, it is gone.

To buy this painting, follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2822194-62-224974/PaintingStarting%20the%20Climb%20Alone%20TdF62-Greig-Leach.html#.V4L1m7grLIU