Tour de France 23, Stage 20: What Will Happen Next?

Once Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) has sat up from his covered attack of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) Felix Gall (Ag2r-Citroen) was able to get back up to their wheels.  The attacks had meant that the trio had caught and dropped every stage hopeful that had been up the road at the base of the Col de Platzerwasel.  Now they were all watching each other.  With five kilometers to the end of the stage, there wasn't enough room to get the kind of gap Pogacar needed on Vingegaard to retake the Yellow Jersey, but there was the hope of reclaiming his since of self.  Felix Gall was just hoping the two would mark each other and let him ride away to take the stage.  I doubt it, I think both of the others very much want to win a mountain stage in this Tour.

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

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3966838-137-297438/Painting/what-will-happen-next-tdf23-137.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 20: One More Try

All day long the team of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) had been riding on the front with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and his team riding right behind.  Literally everyone expected an attack to come from Pogacar, the only questions were, "when?" and "how successful?"  It finally came on the final category one climb of the Tour, the Col du Platzwasel.  Once both had lost their final teammates Pogacar went.  He was immediately covered by the Maillot Jaune of Vingegaard, but the pair quickly distanced Felix Gall (Ag2r-Citroen) and the rest of what might be called the peloton.   However, once Pogacar knew he hadn't dropped his rival, he desisted.  It showed that while he had recovered, he wasn't as strong has he had been three weeks ago.

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

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3966836-136-297438/Painting/one-more-try-tdf23-136.html

 

Tour Femmes '22, Stage 7: Searching for Yellow

This painting is sold.

I have seen two riders do this kind of come back stage in all of the years that I have been watching cycling.  One wasn't a clean effort, and the other was Chris Froome in the Veulta d'Espania (I think).  Today Annemieke Van Vleutin (Movistar) rode absolutely everyone still in the Tour de France Femmes off of her wheel by the time she reached the top of the Col du Platzerwasel.  I know she went out today knowing she would have to attack early if she expected to go for the stage win.  She also knew everyone would expect her to do exactly what she did.  Thing was, no one could do anything about it.  As she crested the climb, she had a minute on her erstwhile companion, Demi Vollering.  She had another five minutes on Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) who had started the day in fourth.  Then six minutes to the rest of those who were ahead of her on the general classification with the noted exception of the Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx) who were already eleven minutes down the mountain.  The only question that remains is just what are her reserves having been ill at the start of the race.

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. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g

My website's host "upgraded" this week and there have been big problems.  Of course! So if you can't buy the painting you want, email me through the website and we can work out an off site sale.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3896381-181-294403/Painting/searching-for-yellow-tdff22-40.html

Tour Femmes '22, Stage 7, Coming Round Right

Annemiek Van Vluetin (Movistar) has bee unusually absent from the Tour de France Femmes, until to day.  The Dutch former World Champion had been suffering with a stomach virus but announced yesterday that she was feeling  much better.  Clearly she was on form, and on fire today.  She had left the peloton on the Petit Ballon before the on air broadcast began.  The only one capable of going with her was Demi Vollering (SD Worx).  Vollering had started the day in 6th overall with Van Vleutin in 8th. Both were just over a minute behind the Maillot Juane of Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma).  As the two climbed the Col du Platerwasel they had built up an eight minute lead on the Maillot Jaune.  The two were the virtual first and second places on the road.  It was equally possible that either would take over the lead in the Queen of the Mountains competition.  

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. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g

My website "upgraded" this week and there have been big problems.  Of course! So if you can't buy the painting you want, email me through the website and we can work out an off site sale.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3896375-180-294403/Painting/coming-round-right-tdff22-39.html

Tour Stage 10: Saying Fairwell

After cresting the Col du Platzerwasel with his team, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) dropped back to have another conversation with his Team Manager, Bjarne Riis, after a few hand gestures he slid back into the pace line, seemingly about to start a death defying descent through the rain and thick mist in search of the peloton.  Instead the next thing we saw was Contador reaching over to pat Mick Rogers, thanking him for all of the hard work, receive a squeeze of the shoulders in salute followed by the two time winner of the Tour de France, pulling off to the side of the road.  He surrendered his bike to the mechanic and climbed into the back seat of one of the team cars.  After some shuffling of seating arrangements, the two Tinkoff Saxo cars got back to their job at hand, supporting the rest of the neon yellow clad men still in the Tour.  After the race, it was learned that Contador had fractured his tibia.  Let that sink in a minute, he had just climbed a mountain in the cold rain with a broken leg!  These are truly hard men that race on these skinny tires in their skin tight outfits.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting will be added to all of the watercolors of the Tour and will become 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 to get involved in bringing the watercolors of a rather wet Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour   There are some exciting backer rewards starting as low as $5 USD, with most including an artist signed copy of the beautifully printed book. If you would like 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%202014/2402514---199992/Painting.html#.U8SWiM_D_IU

Tour Stage 10: Pulling Their Man Back

Alberto Contador, the team leader for Tinkoff Saxo, had a bad crash on the Col du Platzerwasel.  While the wreck occurred off camera, they can't be everywhere, he apparently hit a rock in the road and went down hard, catching his right leg, destroying his shoe, bike and bloodying his knee.  The first time he as seen by the TV Motos was when the race doctor was bandaging his knee and the team was getting him back onto a replacement bike.  At first he set out alone, but soon he caught up to the team that had waited up the road for him.  No one can turn around and head back down the road, so to be able to help pace Contador, the team either soft pedals or stops to wait for him to come up to them.  He appeared to ride wheel as he set out now joined by Matteo Tosatto, Rafal Majika and Mick Rodgers.  On the other hand, as they crested the top, he had lost another minute on the group of the Maillot Jaune, leaving him four minutes off of the pace.  Not too big of a problem for the Spanish climber to make up, but it pointed to the possibility that he was more hurt than he either knew or was letting on.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  It will be included along with the rest of my paintings of the 101st Tour de France in my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book, to pre order your copy, or to discover how to get involved in bringing the Tour as art to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  There are some great rewards for those who chose to back the project that start at only $5 USD, with an artist signed copy at only $25 USD, and international shipping is available.  If you would like to just purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2402508---199992/Painting.html#.U8SRxs_D_IU

Tour Stage 10: Leading Them Up the Col

Yesterday, Tony Martin (Trek Factory Racing) went out in the early break, about half way through the stage he got rid of his break away companion and soloed the remaining 60 kilometers to claim victory and the Polka Dot Jersey.  All of that was very impressive, what is astounding, is that he joined the break again today, and then went to the front of the group and pulled them and his teammate, Michal Kwiatkowski along the road and away from the group with the Yellow Jersey.  Rein Taaramae (Cofidis), Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) and Roaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) new they had been handed a great wheel to follow.  Voeckler and Rodriguez had started the day with getting the Polka Dot Jersey off of the shoulders of Martin foremost in both of their minds.  Martin was doing the work for the team hoping to move Kwiatkowski from second to the leader on the GC.  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 other paintings of the 101st Tour de France, will appear in my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to get involved in bringing my art of the Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  If you would like 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%202014/2402500---199992/Painting.html#.U8SNHM_D_IU