Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Motoring

After hearing this rider's name, Michael O'Loughlin, it left little doubt that he was in Richmond to ride for Ireland.  O'Loughlin is flying down West Main Street about to enter the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.  VCU is wear I gain my artist education so it seems fitting that I get to paint cycling riding through the streets of my alma mater.

This is a small original painting that was create using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  I am painting these works live at the Greater Richmond Convention Center right next to the awards podium.  You can come out to the Fanfest in the GRCC and watch me paint and then buy the original or one of two different sized prints.  Later they will be able to purchased at www.richmond.com.

Giro d'Italia Stage 3: A Little Push Along the Way

The peloton is followed by a number of support personnel naturally the team car has the Director Sportif and a mechanic riding along behind the race.  The car is loaded with food, water bottles, energy gels and all manner of rain capes, gloves and whatever the team may need.  Also the top of the vehicle is festooned with bikes and wheels ready to solve whatever disaster may befall their riders.  When a rider like Ben Swift (Team Sky) stops along the side of the road to get a bike change, the mechanic will get the car off of the roof, hand it over to his rider, and them give him a push to get back up to speed.  The peloton will not wait for the stopped cyclist, so the change must be as fast as possible, and then it is up to the rider to chase down the peloton to rejoin the race.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2362595---198213/Painting.html#.U3AwVc_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 3: Doctor's Visit

There are many ins and outs to racing in a multi stage race all the more when the race is one of the three Grand Tours like the Giro d'Italia.  One is that in order to continue racing the following day, every rider must complete each and every stage.  So when a rider is sick or injured in a fall, he will visit the doctor that travels with the race riding in the caravan with the team cars, where those who need his attentions can drop back and hope that he can fix what ails them.  Here the team leader and GC hopeful, Wilco Kelderman (Belkin Pro Cycling) has the doctor tend to his left knee after hitting the asphalt in one of the many pile ups that plaque the rainy ride to Dublin.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website, 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/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2362591---198213/Painting.html#.U3Ap5c_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 3: Lining the Streets

After two days of spectacular crowds and exciting racing the Giro crossed into the Republic of Ireland on its way to the capital of Dublin.  Just like the Northerners before them, the Republicans turned out by the hundreds of thousands to cheer on the peloton waving the Irish flag and bedecked in pink.  Today's road stage featured the customary break away and included Maartin Tjallingii (Belkin Pro Cycling) who further solidified his King of the Mountains Jersey that he won yesterday.  Riding with him was the Colombian National Champion Rubiano Chavez (Team Colombia), Gert Dockx (Lotto-Belisol), Ceccinhnell (Neri Sotolo) and Yonder Godoy (Androni Giocattoli).  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  In addition, this painting, and all of my cycling art, is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  For this particular piece, you can follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d%27Italia%202014/2362585-12-6-198213/Painting/Sports.html#.U3Am5s_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 2: Trying to Do It Alone

Maarten Tjallingii (Belkin Pro Cycling) had spend way too much time out in the break away to let the peloton catch him without a fight.  So as his fellow escapees surrender and sat up Maarten had one more dig in perhaps a vain hope to beat the sprinters at their own game.  With just over 3 kilometers left to race he still had 10 seconds over the charging peloton, but once the sprinter's trains have the bit between their teeth, that is no where near enough time.  So yet again, the valiant effort of the break away was unsuccessful.  Although Tjallingii was able to claim the King of the Mountains Jersey for his efforts on the day.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could be yours by visiting my artist website at www.greigleach.com or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2362021---198213/Painting.html#.U26vks_D_IU

Tour Stage Nine: Driving to Town and the Stage

When Dan Martin went everyone in the peloton let him go except Jakob Fuglsang of Astana, the two joined forces on the descent, dropped into the most aerodynamic positions and drove as hard and as fast as they could towards the town of Bagneres-de-Bigorre and for one of them a stage victory.  In interviews after the stage each said that a solo break would not have held off the peloton, so their working together made sense until the last kilometer of the stage.  Dan Martin became the first Irishman to win a Tour de France Stage since is uncle did in 1992 (and his uncle went on to win the Tour that year).  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your artistic piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2179479---186227/Painting.html#.UeS0ZcvD_IU