Bergen 2017: Elite Women's TTT: Climbing Together

Defending World Champions, Boels-Doleman, opted to keep the entire team of six women together as they scaled the steep climb out on course.  The orange skin suit clad riders were chasing the times of Team Sunweb around the roads of Norway, just a few seconds off of the pace.  As they reach the line, just one rider short, they just couldn't catch Sunweb.  They will have to settle for the Silver Medal - no shame in that, at all.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Bergen-2017-UCI-Road-World-Championships/3033346-4-239826/PaintingClimbing-Together--Bergen-4.html

Bergen, Elite Women's TTT: Pushing All of the Way

Clearly Team Sunweb had measured their effort around the 42 kilometer hilly course in Bergen today.  The team was behind at each of the check points except for the only one that truly matters, the final one.  They had sacrificed two riders towards the end of the course, but sprinted hard as they neared the final meters of their day.  As they rode under the banner lead by the American Coryn Rivera, their's was the new best time.  And it stayed the best time as the remaining teams out on course finished their day.  Chapeau!

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Bergen-2017-UCI-Road-World-Championships/3033322-3-239826/PaintingPushing-All-of-the-Way--Bergen-3.html

Bergen 2017, Elite Women's TTT: All Here?

The course for the Team Time Trial included a very steep short climb that will be catching out riders for the entire week of racing in Bergen.  Only the Junior Women's course will skip this climb, all other races (and racers) will have to face this on race day.  As FDJ Novelle Aquitane crested the climb, the rider at the front looks over her shoulder to make sure she has a minimum of three others with her at the summit.  In this TTT, the time is taken when the fourth rider crosses the line.  The team is comprised of six riders giving two riders the option of dropping off of the group.  There are many different strategic methods on how to approach expending riders, apparently, FDJ was hoping to keep everyone together.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Bergen-2017-UCI-Road-World-Championships/3033319-2-239826/PaintingAll-Here?--Bergen-2.html

Bergen 2017, Women's TTT: Up and Over

It was the women that got the UCI Road World Championships underway in Bergen, Norway today.  And it was Team Virtu Cyclin that were the first to roll down the start ramp and out onto the roads of Norway.  It was quite a sight to see these women ride over the very tall suspension bridge that led them into Bergen proper.  Naturally, the team was setting the best times at each check point, the advantage of going first.  And posted an acceptable time at the end of the day, leaving them in the middle of the back on the day.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Bergen-2017-UCI-Road-World-Championships/3033316-1-239826/PaintingUp-and-Over-Bergen-1.html

Doha 2016, Women's TTT: Counting Heads

Boels Dolmans has long been a dominate team on the Women's Pro Cycling circuit and today the team showed why.  They were one of the few teams that still had five riders together as they hit the 5 kilometers to go banner on the streets of Doha.  I believe it is Elizabeth Deignan (Great Britain) who is counting heads as she slides to the back of the line.  Her team had been posting the fastest times at the two official time checks and she wanted to make sure they had the required four riders as they neared the finish.  Boels Dolmans did win today, moving themselves up the final step of the ladder from their finish in Richmond, Virginia in 2015.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Doha%202016%20UCI%20Road%20World%20Championships/2863219-4-227958/PaintingCounting%20Heads%20Doha4-Greig-Leach.html#.V_qWDPArLIU

Doha 2016:, Women's TTT: On Board

The tiny "on board" cameras are becoming a wonderful new addition to bike racing coverage.  Hannah Barnes (Germany) had a camera mounted under her seat facing those behind her as Canyon SRAM Racing speed through the desert on their way to a Silver Medal for the day's efforts.  At this point, Barnes had taken her turn at the front of the line as her teammate drifts to the back to recover from her time on the front of the line.  Each rider will take it in turn sharing the work load, until she can do no more.  However, time is taken when the fourth rider crosses the line, so only two can be dropped out on course.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Doha%202016%20UCI%20Road%20World%20Championships/2863218-3-227958/PaintingOn%20Board%20Doha3-Greig-Leach.html#.V_qSH_ArLIU

Doha 2016, Elite Women's TTT: In Formation

A team time trial can be a beautiful thing to watch, when it is all going right.  Cervelo Bigla Pro had it together today on the roads around Doha.  The sextet of women road a powerful and precise race on their way to a bronze medal in the opening race of the 2016 UCI Road World Championships.  The German team is rather international, being comprised of riders from Switzerland, Germany, Finland, South Africa and Canada.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Doha%202016%20UCI%20Road%20World%20Championships/2863208-2-227958/PaintingIn%20Formation%20Doha2-Greig-Leach.html#.V_qPS_ArLIU

Doha 2016, Women's TTT: Tucked In

While I had hoped to repeat the on site live painting of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships that I did here in Richmond, Virginia, many others that were on the roads of Richmond are now racing through the desert in Doha, Qatar.  Starting the racing off in the Elite Women's Team Time Trial for Twenty16-Ridebiker was the star of the Junior Women's \ITT and Road Race, Chloe Dygert (USA).  Her American team sat atop the leader board for a little while (the advantage of being an early starter), but finished the day in fifth place.  The weather was certainly a factor today with truly hot temperatures and strong winds full of blowing sand.  Fortunately, there was only one crash, but it put Raboliv out of medal contention.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Doha%202016%20UCI%20Road%20World%20Championships/2863207-1-227958/PaintingTucked%20In%20Doha1-Greig-Leach.html#.V_qKufArLIU