Tour '26, Stage 8: Two in a Row!

Once the peloton had caught the lone escapee remaining, it was eyes down for the sprint.  Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step) came from a long way back to claim his second stage victory in a row in Bergerac. It was looking like Biniam Girmay (NSN Cycling) was about to get his first stage at the Tour de France in two years until Merlier came from seemingly nowhere.  On his wheel was Olav Kooij (Decathlon-CMA CGM) who was hoping he would be the sprinter to win two stages in the 113th Tour de France. Tomorrow, we go back to the hills, so I expect it won't be a day for these pure sprinters.  Will it be the breakaway that succeeds or will it be a GC day?

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: "Two in a Row! TdF26-57" (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

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '26, Stage 8: Inside of Two Kilometers

After going under the two kilometers banner Liam Stock (Lotto-Intermarche) looked back to see the peloton rounding the corner a mere ten seconds behind him.  The conventional theory is that the breakaway needs a minute's advantage for every ten kilometers left to race.  By that formula, Stock is right on the very edge of being able to make it to the finish line in Bergerac before being caught by the peloton.  Even before he got to the final kilometer flame rouge, he knew the catch was nigh and sat up in surrender to the inevitable. The catch translates to him having been off the front for 179 kilometers of an 180-kilometer stage. 

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: "Inside of Two Kilometers TdF26-56" (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

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour Stage 20: Picking Them Off One by One

The Time Trial stage has riders starting on their own at first two minute intervals and then three minute intervals as the top riders come to the start line.  The order of start times is in reverse of the rider's placing on the General Classification, so the Lanterne Rouge starts off the day and the Maillot Jaune is the last rider on the road.  Tony Martin (OPQS) in his Rainbow Jersey of the World Time Trial Champion, was burning up the 54 kilometer course passing rider after rider who had set out before him.  At this point he is catching Mickael Cherel (AG2R) who had left downtown Bergerac 8 minutes ahead of the Time Trial Specialist.  Riders are not allowed to draft off of each other, so as Martin approached Cherel, he swung wide of the Frenchman and then stayed on that side of the road until he was well past the Frenchman.  Not that Cherel could have caught the wheel of the flying German.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website and will be included in my complete collection of paintings of the 101st Tour de France that are soon to be self published in my, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how to become part of bringing this fabulous race to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some exciting and excellent rewards for those of you who choose to pledge your support on Kickstarter, with rewards starting for as little as $5 USD.  Everyone who supports the project will have their name printed on the Special Thanks page of the book, regardless of the pledge amount.  If you would like to purchase this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't you want a copy of "Book de Tour" as well?  Sure you do!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408548---199992/Painting.html#.U9QTH8vD_IU

Tour Stage 20: Into the First Corner

Like Tony Martin's (OPQS) domination on the World Stage, Sylvain Chavanel (IAM Cycling) has dominated the French Time Trial Championships for three years running.  So it is with pride that he rolls out of the start house and into the first corner of the 54 kilometer race against the clock.  The Frenchman pushed as hard as he could into the first sharp right turn of the course that remained technical through out the city of Bergerac.  Once out of town Chavanel and the rest of the field could get into their aerodynamic tuck and settle into their rhythm for the hour plus all out effort to Perigreux.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website and will be included in my complete collection of paintings of the 101st Tour de France that are soon to be self published in my, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how to become part of bringing this fabulous race to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some exciting and excellent rewards for those of you who choose to pledge your support on Kickstarter, with rewards starting for as little as $5 USD.  Everyone who supports the project will have their name printed on the Special Thanks page of the book, regardless of the pledge amount.  If you would like to purchase this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't you want a copy of "Book de Tour" as well?  Sure you do!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408546---199992/Painting.html#.U9QP8MvD_IU

Tour Stage 20: Ready to Roll

Having waited twenty days to show why he is the World Time Trial Champion, Tony Martin (OPQS) was ready to roll down the start ramp in Bergerac.  Called the 'Race of Truth' because it is the efforts of the guy on the bike alone, without drafting, teammates or any place to hide from the wind, that determines how well they do in the stage.  Martin was not very high up on the General Classification, but with this being his discipline, he would only be happy with a stage win.  He has won the last two individual time trials in the Tour de France, and is wearing the Rainbow Time Trialist Jersey for the third year in a row.  This Tour he has also won an open road stage, a first for him, using his time trialing abilities to hold off the chasing peloton.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes by Jack Richeson & Company, www.richesonart.com.  The painting is available through my artist website and will be included in my complete collection of paintings of the 101st Tour de France that are soon to be self published in my, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how to become part of bringing this fabulous race to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some exciting and excellent rewards for those of you who choose to pledge your support on Kickstarter, with rewards starting for as little as $5 USD.  Everyone who supports the project will have their name printed on the Special Thanks page of the book, regardless of the pledge amount.  If you would like to purchase this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't you want a copy of "Book de Tour" as well?  Sure you do!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408544-151-144-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U9QM_MvD_IU

Tour Stage 19: The Other End of the Race

Even as his teammate celebrate the victory he so narrowly missed in Nimes, Jack Bauer (Garmin Sharp) was picking himself back up off of the road.  He was one of roughly thirty riders who went down just inside of the final 3 kilometers to go point on the approach into Bergerac.  The three kilometer part of the story is critical.  Riders who crash or have a mechanical inside of that point are given the same time on the stage as those whom they were with that make it to the finishing line. Bauer took longer to get back underway than most who went down, and was shaking out his left arm as he slowly pedal the remaining distance to join his jubilant teammate.  Many others came up along his side as he rode in, but unlike the Garmin Sharp man, they had been dropped out on the course and their arrival time gaps were what would be recorded as their official times.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  The painting will be amongst the complete collection of paintings of the 2014 Tour de France the will comprise my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become a part of bringing this Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408468---199992/Painting.html#.U9M9M8vD_IU

Tour Stage 19: Embracing the Rain

Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin Sharp) reached into the wet air, embracing the rain and savoring his daring long solo run to the finish line to victory.  He may have been helped by the rather large pile of bikes and cyclists that happened near the front of the peloton taking out sprinters and sprint trains alike.  Peter Sagan (Cannondale) was one of those who lay on the side of the road with no chance for the stage victory that has alluded the Slovakian sprinter in the 101st Tour de France.  He has achieved his stated goal of winning the Green Jersey of the most consistent sprinter, but would have liked to been the first to cross the line at least once in this Tour.  With an individual time trial for Stage 20 and the sprinters delight on the Champs Elysees for the finale, this was most likely his last chance to take a stage.  His body language on the side of the road did not equal the joy of Navardauskas, to say the least.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  The painting will be amongst the complete collection of paintings of the 2014 Tour de France the will comprise my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become a part of bringing this Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408456---199992/Painting.html#.U9M59cvD_IU

Tour Stage 19: On His Own

Team Garmin Sharp went into this stage as one of thirteen teams that have yet to win a Stage of the 101st Tour de France, and they were not planning on letting that still be the case at the end of the day.  After putting Tom Jelte Slagter in the early break, they then launched Ramunas Navardauskas off of the front of the peloton on the only Categorized climb of the day.  While it was still 20 kilometers to the line, they were hoping to rectify the Jack Bauer being caught at the line in Nimes.  Cycling is a sport that will go in almost any conditions, and the fans will come out to watch them regardless of the weather, so it is that the roads today were lined with umbrellas, slickers and ponchos, because the rain was not going to dampen the mood of the fans.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  The painting along with all of my art of the 101st Tour de France will be included in my soon to be self published tome, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become a part of bringing this Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some excellent rewards for those who choose to pledge their support, but do hurry the funding period ends on the 4th of August.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408454---199992/Painting.html#.U9M2GcvD_IU

Tour Stage 19: A Little Bit of Advice

Arnaud Gerard (Bretagne-Seche) slipped to the back of the small group that was off the front of the peloton by over three minutes to chat with his Team Director.  By the hand gestures that were coming from behind the steering wheel, it seemed to be a discussion about the dangers of the course that lay ahead.  The group would soon be getting to the outskirts of Bergerac and the wet roads would make for some slippery roundabouts and 90 degree turns as the riders came to the end of a 208.5 kilometer slough through drizzle, wet roads and thunderstorms.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website, www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published complete collection of my paintings of the 101st Tour de France, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become a part of bringing this art of cycling to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some fabulous Backer Rewards for those who choose to pledge to the Kickstarter "Book de Tour" project for as little as $5 USD.  Every level of support will get your name printed on the Special Thanks page of the book.  To purchase this painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But wouldn't you like to have a copy of the book that this painting will be included in as well?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408442---199992/Painting.html#.U9Muis_D_IU