Tour, Stage 11: You Wouldn't Dare!

With a big day of climbing ahead of the peloton, the small kindness was to make the intermediate sprint before any of the mountains appeared on the horizon.  Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrophe) made sure he was in the early break, so that he could add points in his goal of the Maillot Vert.  Sagan was looking back over his shoulder, daring any of those behind to try and come around.  Behind the Slovakian sprinter, Damiano Caruso (BMC), Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic), Daniel Navarro (Cofidis( and Romain Sicard (Direct Energie) weren't interested in sprint points, unless they were those for the stage winner.  With the sprint out of the way, Sagan sat up and saved his energy for another day. 

Every day there is a time limit to finish the stage based on a changing percentage of the winners time.  With the short distance and big climbs facing the sprinters, it is a real possiblity that some of the big names in the flat sprint stages might get eliminated.  Spoiler alert, the beleaquered Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) didn't make the cut, and is now on his way home.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2018/3189375-55-251072/PaintingYou-Wouldn't-Dare!.html

Tour, Stage 12: Man to Man

At this point on the slightly shorten climb up Mont Ventoux these two guys were off the front of the early break of the day.  It was beginning to look like the rarity of the break succeeding all of the way to the finish would happen for the second time in the 103rd Tour de France.  Unfortunately for the French fans, neither Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) nor Daniel Navarro (Cofidis) were French, but Cofidis is a French team, so for now, it will have to do.  Yo-yoing being this duo was the other Belgium rider from the break, Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal).  De Gendt had come up short on the other successful break of this Tour, but was rewarded with claiming the Maillot a Pois on that day.  Should he managed to catch and pass these two, he would reclaim that jersey, becoming the King of the Mountains.

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, follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2823778-84-224974/PaintingMan%20to%20Man%20TdF83-Greig-Leach.html#.V4gu47grLIU

Dauphine, Stage 6: A Very Elite Group

Giving chase to the only two that were still up the road gaining time was a very elite group, a veritable whose who in the 2016 ProTour.  While the threesome on Team Sky was on the front, followed by the duo from BMC were Alperto Contador (Tinkoff) the rest of this prestigious group included Dan Martin & Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep), Diego Rosa (Astana), Daniel Navarro (Cofidis) and Pierre Rolland (Cannondale).  Ironically, both Navarro and Rolland lost the wheels of the group as soon as I completed this painting.  Apparently, Team Sky was upping the ante to be in this elite group.

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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Criterium%20du%20Dauphine/2807224-76-185083/Painting.html#.V1zxYPkrLIU