Tour Stage 2: The Second Kick Does It

Like Jens Voigt (Trek Factory Racing) the day before, Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis) got into the break of the day with the goal of taking the lead in the King of the Mountains Competition, represented by the Polka Dot Jersey.  One of his break away companions, Davide De La Cruz (NetApp-Endura) try to spoil the plan, but to quote Phil Liggett, "the second kick does it" on the climb up Greetland Hill.  While it remains to be seen if he can keep the lead on the remain climbs of the day, the sprint to the top was enough for him to take over the lead on the road.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available at my artist website, www.greigleach.com, and it will be included in my soon to be self published "Book de Tour" on the 2014 Tour de France.  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order you copy or to get involved in bringing the project to life, 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%202014/2397128---199992/Painting.html#.U7nN4M_D_IU

Tour Stage 2: Big Crowds for a Big Break

Day two of the Tour saw the break form in the first kilometer of racing for the second day in a row.  The group swelled to seven once Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) got across to the group containing, Blel Kadri (AG2R), the American Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing), Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis), Davide De La Cruz (NetApp Endura), Amindo Fonseca (Bretagne-Seche) and Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar).  All of these guys saw this stage with its nine categorized climbs as a great opportunity for the break away to succeed, at the very least as a chance to take over the KIng of the Mountains Polka Dot Jersey.  Estimates of the crowds along the roadside of Stage 1 ranged from one to two million people and from the start it looks like the 201 kilometers from York to Sheffield would top those numbers easily.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting created using Yarka St. Petersburg Watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my self published "Book de Tour (learn more about early orders and backing opportunities at 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%202014/2397098---199992/Painting.html#.U7nASs_D_IU

Paris-Nice Stage 7: Slipping Off the Front

Rather than leaving the early break out to fry, today they caught the seven member break too early setting up the opportunity for a flurry of attacks within the final 20 K of the stage.  This is Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis) and Guillou (Team Bretagne) trying to get away for the stage victory.  The other story being told is off the French Gendarme who travel with the race closing the roads, dealing with the sometimes unruly crowds and warning the cyclist of dangers in the road way.  They stand in front of the charging peloton waving a small yellow pennant with their backs against the traffic islands or construction zones along the race course.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could by yours by visiting my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  Or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2328815---195767/Painting.html#.UyUtxM_D_IU