Tour, Stage 16: More Polka Dots

The two rivals for the ultimate King of the Mountains prize are two Frenchmen, Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) and Warren Barguil (Fortuneo-Samsic).  The pair were crossing swords from the very first climb of the day and were still at it over the Col de Portet d'Aspet.  Alaphilippe, already in the Maillot a Pois kept getting the better of his countryman, adding to his tally point by point.  Alaphilippe's teammate, Philippe Gilbert, had taken first over the climb and was already flying down the other side of the mountain.  Behind these two, another 39 guys struggled to hold wheels with another nine minutes back to the relaxed peloton.

This is the painting from today that you can watch come to life on my YouTube channel.  I hope you will watch it here, but also will subscribe to the channel when you do.  I need to get more subscribers so I can name my channel.

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-2018/3193172-83-251072/PaintingMore-Polka-Dots--T18-82.html

Tour, Stage 11: Two More Are Coming

Mikel Nieve (Mitchelton-Scott) looked over at his break away companions.  I'm not sure if he was letting them know that Nicolas Edet and Daniel Narvarro (Cofidis) were coming up to them, or if he was about to attack Damiano Caruso (BMC) and Warren Barguil (Fortuneo Samsic).  They were on the way up La Rosiere, the final climb of the day.  Unlike yesterday, there would be no riding down the other side of the mountain.  Today the stage would end on top of the Catagory 1 climb.

And yes, Nieve, went on the offensive, riding everyone off of his wheel.

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-2018/3189409-60-251072/PaintingTwo-More-Are-Coming--T18-59.html

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 1: All of France Ahead

Alas, I wasn't able to get the image I wanted, the very start of the Tour.  Seems the cameras went off line at the front of the peloton and it took some time to get the links sorted.  By then, the lead group of three, Kevin Ledanois (Fortuneo-Samsic), Yoann Offredo (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Jerome Cousin (Direct Energie) had gotten off the front fot the first break away of the 2018 Tour de France.  Naturally they represented three wild card teams, and all Frenchmen on French teams to boot.  The title comes from the fact that they are just coming off a bridge that links the start island in Noirmoutier en L'Ile to the mainland, and that all of France will be covered in the next three weeks by the peloton.

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-2018/3184425-1-251072/PaintingAll-of-France-Ahead.html