Tour '25, Stage 15: Thanks, Guys

Sure, the morning I decide nothing is going to happen early, so I grab and extra half hour of sleep, that's when all of the drama happens early.  After a crash, cross wins, Tadej paying back Jonas for making the peloton wait, and dropped riders, the breakaway finally reached the sprint point in Saint Felix Lavrages.  As the fifteen riders approached the sprint point it was Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) leading them through.  Once he had taken the uncontested maximum points, he swung off thanking Jarrad Prizners (Lotto) and Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) for not making him have to sprint.  With Jonathan Milan back in the main peloton Van Der Poel will be the only sprinter earning points towards the Maillot Vert today until the end of the stage.  He is now moved closer to Milan's total, just one stage win today would give him the lead in the sprinter's competition. 

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Thanks, Guys TdF25-95" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 2: Chatting Down the Back

With the early break away well up the road, the peloton wasn't flat out yet with another 49 kilometers to race.  The back of the peloton seemed rather relaxed.  Jasper De Buyst (Lotto) was at ease enough to have an extended conversation with his treammate, Jarrad Drizners.  Perhaps they were discussing the will end to the opening stage of the 51st Volta ao Algrave and the even more bizarre decision to nullify the entire stage.  The entire peloton was marked as 'did not finish' and no jersey points nor time bonuses were awarded.  I think that was the worst possible resolution to the mayhem of 80% of the peloton going off course with less than a kilometer to race.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Chatting Down the Back VA25-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '24, Stage 17: Off the Back, But Still Here

With little chance of figuring in any of the remaining stages and not showing up on the race for the Maillot Vert it is a bit of surprise to see that Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan) is still in the Tour.  As the peloton started up the first of three categorized climbs, he slipped off the back with his ever-faithful teammate Cees Pol.  Jarrad Drizners (Lotto-Dstny) was another of those that found the pace too stiff on the way up the Col Bayard.  The pace had been hot all day with most teams trying to get a guy into the breakaway.  Every time a group got off the front, the teams not represented chased it down.  So, it has been a very, very hard day and they have just gotten to the climbing section of the stage.  Most of the sprinters are dropping out of the Tour, the question is, will Cav stay?  I now suspect he wants to finish what will almost definitely be his last Tour de France.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Off the Back, But Still Here TdF24-103" (Original art by Greig Leach)