Tour Down Under Stage 5: Chatting by the Sea

The longest and penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under started innocently enough with a couple of laps that ran along the beautiful coastline of Southern Australia.  Michael Schar, Danilo Wyss and Peter Stetina (BMC) chatted amiably as they road tempo pass the beach in defensive of their man, Rohan Dennis, wearing the Ochre Jersey of race leader.  It is usually the job of the team with the leader's jersey to ride tempo at the front of the peloton, often in pursuit of the early break away.

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Tour Down Under Stage 4: Making a Late Break

With several breakaways established and then got by the peloton on the road to Mount Barker, it was these three that tried to go again after the second intermediate sprint.  Maxim Belkov (Katusha) - who had been in the first break away on Stage One, was joined in the late effort by Ruslan Tleubayev (Astana) and Pieter Serry, who is riding for the newly renamed Etixx-Quickstep cycling team.  Belkov was hoping that lightening would strike twice, allowing him to be in another successful break that would stay away until the finishing line.

This is a small original water color and ink painting that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  If you are enjoying reading about this Tour, please check out my new book, "Book de Tour - Art of the 101st Tour de France" available online world wide.  Google the title to find out where you can purchase your copy without having to pay international shipping charges.

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Tour Down Under Stage 4: A Change at the Front

With a new three man break up the road, Matteo Bono (Lampre-Merida) came to the front of the peloton along with a teammate to drive the pace in hopes catching the men up the road and of softening up the group for their sprinter, Niccolo Bonifazio.  Lampre-Merida always brings a little color to the race with their bright pink sleeves, shocking green accents and purply blue shorts.  Leave it to the Italians to bring some style to their kit.

This is a small original water color and ink painting that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  If you are enjoying reading about this Tour, please check out my new book, "Book de Tour - Art of the 101st Tour de France" available online world wide.  Google the title to find out where you can purchase your copy without having to pay international shipping charges.

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Tour Down Under Stage 2: Climbing Pass the Fans

The three man break away hit the climb and the beginning of a three lap circuit with almost two and a half minutes on the chasing peloton.  The fans lining what will eventually be the finishing strait were going to be treated to the flashing colors of the fast moving cyclist several times before knowing who would take the stage.  These three, Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), who has one the Tour Down Under before, along with Cameron Meyer (Orica-GreenEdge) and Campbell Flakemore (BMC) were hoping the GC men were going to make another mistake.  De Gendt, by virtue of his two intermediate sprint wins, was in a good position to take away the Ochre Jersey from Jack Bobridge (UniSA-Australia).  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com for only $50 USD.  Yes, international shipping is available.  For this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

If you enjoy this kind of visual cycling story telling, check out my new book, "Book de Tour - Art of the 101st Tour de France"  Ask your local bookseller, or google the title to find out where you can purchase a copy worldwide.

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