Tour '22, Stage 17: Doing the Damage

Watching Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) drive the pace up the Col de Val Louron Azet was a thing of beauty.  As he drove the pace ever on, one by one every rider save two dropped off.  He was eliminating the general classification like they were out on a club ride.  Naturally his team leader Tadej Pogacar was stuck to his wheel.  However, I am sure the two thought they were going to dislodge Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) in his Maillot Jaune as well.  And then the pace McNulty was setting seemed to make it impossible for even Pogacar to launch an attack either.  He did have a little dig over the top of the climb, but Vingegaard was right on it.

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 $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3894981-106-294403/Painting/doing-the-damage-tdf22-107.html

Tour "22, Stage 17: The Cream of the Tour

I had thought I would entitle this painting, "The Cream Always Rises to the Top"  But thought better of it.  So, as the peloton hit the Col de Val Louron-Azet only the truly strong men were able to stick with the brutal pace being set by the American, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).  At this point he was followed by his team captain, Tadej Pogacar in the Maillot Blanc.  Closely watching the Slovenian was the Maillot Juane of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) with his American teammate Sepp Kuss.  Vingegaard spent the whole climb waiting for Pogacar to attack, he never did.  On his wheel was the man sitting third overall, Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers) and then came the Colombian Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic).  Quintana had started the day in fourth.  So the top four, two with teammates were all there.  They had dropped Simon Geschke (Cofidis) who had already done what he needed to do to hold onto the Maillot a Pois for at least one more day.  He tried to hold onto the wheels, but just didn't have the legs to join this freight train.

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 $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3894901-105-294403/Painting/the-cream-of-the-tour-tdf22-106.html

TDF, Stage 17: Flying the Flag

On the Col de Val Lauron Azet Anthony Peres (Cofidis) was looking to carry the flag for the French, and his French team.  While it has been since 2017 that a Frenchman was able to claim a stage victory on Bastille Day, it has been an additional nine years since his team has taken a stage win in the Tour.  The French fans were out in force on all of the climbs of the day, many waving the tri-colore of France for everyone in the peloton.  But they were especially excited to see one of their own off the front on the second big climb of the day.

Spoiler alert... Perez stayed off the front until the final three kilometers of the stage, so the French and Cofidis will have to wait another year. Well Cofidis still has three stages to claim a stage win in the 2021 Tour de France.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at www.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 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824051-108-291436/Painting/flying-the-flag-tdf21-107.html

Tour, Stage 8: Getting Some Help

While flying down the back side of the Col de Val Louron Azet on a blistering hot day, Wilco Kelderman (LottoNL Jumbo) lost control of his bike on a sharp corner.  As we were able to see Kelderman and his bike on the road, it was obvious that his tire and come free from the rim.  Racers use tubular tires that are sewn around the inner tube and then glued onto the rim of the wheel.  In the heat some times that glue becomes too soft and the tire simply rolls of the rim in a hard corner.  I use to ride these kind of tires, but now the technology allow for very high pressure traditional clencher tires.  Fortunately, Kelderman's teammate, George Bennett was just behind.  Before the leader of Lotto Jumbo had even figured out what had happened, Bennett had stopped and began to remove his wheel to give to his team leader.  Luckily, no one else hit the ground due to his crash, amazing consider the pair were in the middle of the road on a hard corner of a Pyrenees decent.

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, just follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2821642-52-224974/PaintingGetting%20Some%20Help%20TdF52-Greig-Leach.html#.V4HnuLgrLIU

Tour, Stage 8: Still Okay?

The teams of Movistar and Sky kept trading off the pace making on the front of the ever dwindling peloton.  As the boys on the British Team Sky pushed the pace on the Col de Val Louron Azet, Mikel Nieve looked over at the unzipped jacket and sweat dripping face of Geraint Thomas asking if he was still okay.  Riding just behind the near metronomic Team Sky was the Irishman, Dan Martin (Etixx-Quickstep).  So many of the top contenders for the overall victory in Paris on the same time added to the fact that the Yellow Jersey was already seven minutes behind the peloton meant that a stage win would yet again give the winner the race lead to boot.

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, just follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2821639-51-224974/PaintingStill%20Okay?%20TdF51-Greig-Leach.html#.V4HjtLgrLIU

Tour Stage 17: Catching His Wheel

Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) was riding like a man possessed.  He was certainly extremely focused on securing the Polka Dot Jersey of the King of the Mountians, thus far he had the legs to be the first over the first two climbs of the stage.  As they approached the summit of the penultimate climb of the day, the Col de Val Lauron Azet, Rodriguez again jumped from the pack to sprint to the peak of the mountain.  Rafal Majka (Tinkoff Saxo) did his best to catch the Virtual Polka Dots, but just didn't have enough to get around the man in red.  Perhaps if the road had turned left instead of right he could have gotten a couple of points on Rodriguez, but it went the other way and so did the points.  All Nicolas Roche (Tinkoff Saxo), Jon Izaguirre (Movistart) and Peter Velits (BMC) could do was watch the two mountain goats sprint off.  They were more interested in winning the stage and didn't want to spend the extra energy trying to get points for a jersey they couldn't possible win given how few mountains were left to climb.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting along with all of my watercolors 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, the incentives for those who pledge their support, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can be a part of bringing this stunning 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.  But don't you want a copy of the book with all of the paintings in it?  Sure you do!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2407326---199992/Painting.html#.U9B03s_D_IU

Tour Stage 17: Going It Alone

Vasil Kiryienka (Team Sky) was free to ride for himself today.  With his team leader, Chris Froome, out of the Tour on Stage 5 and Richie Porte suffering a respiratory illness and almost a half hour out of contention, Kiryienka was able to use his strength in the mountains to his own gain.  He used the penultimate climb of the stage to ride away from the rest of the break away.  Setting out on his own, attempting to ride the final 30 kilometers alone.  As alone as one can be in the Tour, with fans lining the road, helicopters over head, and the press catching your every twitch on camera.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting and all of my art of the 101st Tour de France will be included in 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 exceptional Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some excellent Backer rewards for those who choose to pledge their support to the book.  Rewards start at just $5 USD and $25 will included a printed postcard, an artist signed copy of "Book de Tour" and a small pin back button cyclist drawing.  Any pledge amount will get your name printed 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 don't you want a book with all of the artwork in it?  Sure you do!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2407318---199992/Painting.html#.U9BtNs_D_IU