Tour de France, Stage 12: Three Away

Using the descent from the previous climb, this trio left there fellow breakaway companions behind.  When a break gets to be too big there can often be too many passengers (those who don't contribute to the work of breaking the wind).  Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx Quickstep) looking grand in his Rainbow Jersey of the World Road Racing Champion, was joined by the KOM point seeking Georg Preidler (Giant Alpecin) and the Classics rider (who was doing amazing in the high mountains), Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL Jumbo).  They were being given the time gap back to there former compatriots and the peloton by the LCL sponsored time keepers and the slate board tally.  These three were putting time into all of the others as they started up the slopes of the Category 1 Port de Lers.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes that came from Jack Richeson & Company (www.richesonart.com), a small mid western family run art supply company with excellent art supplies.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.  Don't delay, it is a one of a kind original painting, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2581396---210122/Painting.html#.VahcvflViko

Tour de France, Stage 12: Sprinting for the Summit

As the large breakaway group approached the summit of the Col de la Core (the second categorized climb of the day - Cat. 1), it was Kristijan Durasek (Lampre-Merida) who sprinted out of the pack with Georg Preidler (Giant Alpecin) tucked onto his wheel.  Preidler was able to grab second over this climb, making it the second climb of the day where he was able to pick up King of the Mountain points.  All of the Pyrennean climbs are lined with the RVs of cycling fans from around the world, each hoping to see their man (or team) at the front of the race.  Many have satellite dishes so they can keep track of the race, and then see it go by live with a better understanding of what they are seeing.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes that came from Jack Richeson & Company (www.richesonart.com), a small mid western family run art supply company with excellent art supplies.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.  Don't delay, it is a one of a kind original painting, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2581392---210122/Painting.html#.VahaL_lViko

Tour de France, Stage 12: The First of Many

I always enjoy the opportunity to have the title of a piece of artwork to have more than one meaning.  Today, this title refers to this summit of the Col de Portet d'Aspet is the first of many big climbs for the stage, but it also makes reference to the simple fact that these are the first of many more competitors that will be passing this point over the next half hour.  And of course the final inference is that this is the first of many more paintings to come for both the stage and the rest of the Tour de France.  Georg Preidler (Giant Alpecin) was the first to summit closely followed by Jeremy Roy (FDJ), Lieuwe Westra (Astana).  The trio had jumped out of the rather large breakaway of another 19 riders.  With so many hard categorized climbs on the course, each and everyone of the escapees felt that today was the day that the peloton would let the break succeed.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes that came from Jack Richeson & Company (www.richesonart.com), a small mid western family run art supply company with excellent art supplies.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.  Don't delay, it is a one of a kind original painting, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2581388---210122/Painting.html#.VahXnvlViko

Giro d'Italia Stage 20: A Hell of a Climb

After climbing to massive mountains and covering 150 kilometers and over 1500 kilometers thus far in the Giro d'Italia, the break away was about to start up the most hellish mountain in a Grand Tour.  In case they weren't aware of how much they were about to suffer, they were encouraged along by the Devil by the side of the road.  The Devil has long been a figure in every stage of the Tour de France, and it is a pleasure to see him healthy again, using his new knees to drive the peloton on. Chapeau!  At this point, Tim Wellens (Lotto-Belisol) is leading a small group of the front, a place he has been for the last couple of stages.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular original painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't delay, it is a one of a kind.  And only $50 USD!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2373534---198213/Painting.html#.U4o818vD_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 11: Fighting to Hold His Wheel

The little Colombian, Johan Davi Arredondo (Trek Factory Racing), jumped from the peloton and stormed by each group up the road in hopes of getting maximum King of the Mountain points as the summit of Naso di Gatto.  He had already been the first to summit the other climb of the day and hoped to strengthen his grip on the Maglia Azzurro.  Of all of the former members of the early break, it was Georg Preidler (Giant Shimano) that was able to come any where close to holding the Colombian climber's wheel.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard (4"x6") that is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2367701---198213/Painting.html#.U32Ekc_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 11: Looking to See Who's There

With the peloton closing in on the final climb four of the fourteen in the early break went out on the attack.  The other Irishman still in the break, Nicholas Roche (Tinkoff-Saxo) was the first to go and was then joined by Daniel Mareno (Katusha), Georg Preidler (Giant Shimano) and Barbin (Bardiani CSF).  With 8 kilometers of climbing ahead of them, there was a real chance to put in some time to those behind.  After the crest of this climbe up Naso di Gatto, the rest of the stage was all down hill, so if you had a minute or two at the summit, there was a very good chance of a stage victory.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard (4"x6") that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But while you are there, why not take the time to browse through the rest of the cycling art on offer?  All of the small watercolors are only $50 USD.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2367699---198213/Painting.html#.U32BG8_D_IU

Volta Catalunya Stage 5: All for Naught

After awhile the two leaders, Burghardt (BMC) and Preidler (Giant Shimano) were joined by two more, however only Pierre Roland (Europcar) was able to hang with the two in the stiff winds.  Apparently the winds are frequent enough to warrant the installation of wind turbines.  However the break that got away after 50 kilometers was all for naught as the peloton reeled them in with only about 20 K left to ride.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available from my artist website at www.greigleach.com, or for this painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2337077---195767/Painting.html#.UzYcsc_D_IU

Volta Catalunya Stage 5: Two Away

After two days of high mountain climbs, cold rain, snow the racers were blessed with sunshine and a relatively flat stage.  However they spent the day in pretty stiff winds, most of them headwinds.  I went out for a ride myself and hit very stiff head winds, too, and you end of working as hard as you can yet feel like you are barely moving.  Even with those conditions a large break got away, with these two, Marcus Burghardt (BMC) and Georg Preidler (Giant Shimano) slipping off of the larger group trying to beat the odds and the peloton.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that has been created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com  Also, this painting and all of my cycling works are available from my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting you can follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2337075-63-60-195767/Painting/Sports.html#.UzYauM_D_IU