Tour de France, Stage 12: The First of Many

I always enjoy the opportunity to have the title of a piece of artwork to have more than one meaning.  Today, this title refers to this summit of the Col de Portet d'Aspet is the first of many big climbs for the stage, but it also makes reference to the simple fact that these are the first of many more competitors that will be passing this point over the next half hour.  And of course the final inference is that this is the first of many more paintings to come for both the stage and the rest of the Tour de France.  Georg Preidler (Giant Alpecin) was the first to summit closely followed by Jeremy Roy (FDJ), Lieuwe Westra (Astana).  The trio had jumped out of the rather large breakaway of another 19 riders.  With so many hard categorized climbs on the course, each and everyone of the escapees felt that today was the day that the peloton would let the break succeed.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes that came from Jack Richeson & Company (www.richesonart.com), a small mid western family run art supply company with excellent art supplies.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.  Don't delay, it is a one of a kind original painting, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2581388---210122/Painting.html#.VahXnvlViko

Tour Stage 16: Derrier de la Course

Life at the back of the peloton can be tough, it is often the place for the walking wounded, or in this case the riding wounded.  Ji Cheng (Giant Shimano) drops off the peloton to visit the race doctor in search of the magic spray that will keep him going.  With all of the ban substances, to prevent performance enhancing doping, it is difficult to manage pain, pain most often from tendonitis.  Cheng has been the man driving the front of the peloton for Giant Shimano and then disappearing after he has left all of his energy on the road.  He is joined at the back by the heartbreak kid, Jack Bauer (Garmin Sharp). Having but so many kilometers into the break on the way into Nimes, he just was still too exhausted from that effort to be able to hold the wheels of the fast disappearing peloton.  With 21 stages over a 23 day period, riders have to be careful to not over do it one day for fear of having nothing left for the next.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson and Company, www.richesonart.com.  The painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published art book 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 involved in bringing this most unpredictable Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some fabulous incentives to encourage you to back the project starting a just $5 USD, and every backer, regardless of the amount pledge, will have their name in print on the Special Thanks page of the book.  If you would like 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 "Book de Tour" as well?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2406648-120-114-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U87iHM_D_IU