Tour '24, Stage 20: Chasing Up the Mountain

The theme for Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) is to miss the move when it goes, and then to chase it down.  Fortunately for him, he has consistently been able to chase across this final week of the Tour.  I'm sure Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) wasn't upset to have such a good wheel to follow up the Col de Turini.  The two had about another twenty seconds to catch the three men up the road.  Carapaz was definitely on a mission to make sure his lead in the King of the Mountains competition would be unassailable by the end of the stage.

I did learn today that while EF Education-EasyPost has worn the Miallot a Pois before, they have never won the King of the Mountain title in their history at the Tour de France.  Bardet was hoping to strike gold again and win another stage in this Tour.  He has no chance of taking yellow with the win like he did in stage one, but going out with a road stage win on the final day of road racing in his Tour career would be grand.

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 $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Chasing Up the Mountain TdF24-125" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice 2022: The Best Defense

Sometimes the best way to defend oneself from attacks is to launch one yourself (this does not apply to current tensions in eastern Europe).  That is exactly what Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) did.  He went hard with a couple of hundred meters left to race opening up space between himself an his rivals.  Daniel Felipe Martinez (Ineos-Grenadiers) was able to stay on his wheel, but unable to come around the Maillot Jaune.  Martinez's ride moved him in to third overall.  He is now just thirteen seconds behind Simon Yates (BikeExhange-Jayco) who was third on the stage, but sits in second in the general classification.  Yet, with the time bonus for winning the stage and the small gaps, Roglic stretched his leaded out to 47 seconds and one minute respectively.  All Roglic has to do is not crash out tomorrow like he did in the Dauphine last year while in Yellow.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available. 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3871900-75-272742/Painting/the-best-defense-pn22-38.html

Paris Nice 2022: In Control

I imagine that Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) was tired of being attacked repeatitively on the climb up the Col de Turini, so he went off on his own.  When he went everyone tried to go with him but only the Colombian, Daniel Felipe Martinez (Ineos-Grenadiers) was able to hold onto the Slovenian's wheel.  With six kilometers left to climb, this could be the order that finishes the day.  Although I am sure those just behind will try and have something to say about that.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3871891-73-272742/Painting/in-control-pn22-36.html

Paris Nice 2022: Tete de La Course

Just two and a half kilometers ago it looked like Gregor Muhlberger's (Movistar) day was over.  But here he is off the front with just the race director's and Shimano's Neutral Support cars for company.  He only has about 34 seconds on the elite group of GC contenders behind him so it seems unlikely that he will stay away.  However, if the GC guys are on the limit and simply ride together to the finish he has a little bit of hope.  I can't see that happening though.  Roglic may have a substantial lead on the rest of the field but the rest of the podium is very close together on time.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3871886-72-272742/Painting/tete-de-la-course-pn22-35.html

Paris Nice 2022: Hardly a Sprint

I don't know which sadist decided that it would be fun to have the second intermediate just eleven kilometers away from the end of a mountain top finish.  This point in La Bollene Vesubie is seven kilometers into the measure portion of the climb of the Col de Turini, but these tattered remnants of the twenty man break away didn't really factor into either the Green Jersey Points nor the bonus seconds.  Given the way Gregor Muhlberger (Movistar) is tailing off of the wheels of Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) and Franck Bonamour (B&B Hotels-KTM) it may well be just two men left in the break very shortly.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3871881-71-272742/Painting/hardly-a-sprint-pn22-34.html

Paris Nice 2022: Teasing Each Other

Michael Morkov (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) had been up the road in the original 20 man break away at the start of the climb of the Col de Turini - although the measured climb had yet to start.  As he dropped off the pass and was caught by the peloton he made a very Italian looking gesture to Luke Rowe (Ineos-Grenadiers).  Morkov was pretending to be offended that his friend and oft times companion in the groupetto had chased him down.  It brought a big smile to Rowe's face and to that of Rowe's teammate the Spanish Champion Omar Fraille.  Given the effort that was going into the pace of the peloton, I'm sure a little levity was much appreciated.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3871880-70-272742/Painting/teasing-each-other-pn22-33.html