Tour Down Under '23, Final Stage: The Stage but Not the Jersey

While Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) was strong enough to win the stage atop Mount Lofty, he didn't have the legs to get rid of Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) who stays in the Ochre Jersey as the winner of the Tour Down Under.  I felt it was too fun not to play with the title that I used when Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) won stage two and pulled on the leader's jersey (The Stage and the Jersey).  And then although I didn't use the reverse of this in stage three when Jay Vine came in third on the stage, but had enough time to claim his first Ochre Jersey of the race leader, it seemed this was the time to switch up the title a bit.  Just peeping into the background are the legs of Ben O'Connor (Ag2r-Citroen) who finished third on the day moving himself up to sixth overall.  The rest of the jersey went to Magnus Sheffield (Ineos-Grenadiers) as best young rider, Mikkel Honore (EF Education-EasyPost) as best climber, and Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula) as best sprinter.  Chapeau to all!

I will be back in about a month for Omloop fet Niewsblad, and then it will be a smattering of Spring Classics.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3929067-177-194179/Painting/the-stage-but-not-the-jersey-tdu22-31.html

Tour Down Under '23, Stage 4: Safely in the Front Group

The directors of the broadcast used the helicopter shots to figure out just who was in what echelon out on the road.  As they check out the front of the front group it was easy to spot the Ochre Jersey of the race leader, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates).  He was being led through the rotation into the wind by his teammate.  They were accompanied by two riders for Movistar, Johan Jacobs and Ivan Romeo along with Alex Baudin (Ag2r-Citroen).  This group was just the tip of the roughly fifty riders who had managed to get away from another eighty riders on the straight roads into the town of Willunga.  Barring distaster, it seemed that Vine had ensured that he would wear the leader's jersey into the final stage of the Tour Down Under tomorrow.  Will he still be wearing it at the end of the final stage of the race?  He does have 15 seconds on Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) who are now tied for second place.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3928403-169-194179/Painting/safely-in-the-front-group-tdu23-23.html

Tour Down Under '23, Stage 3: Mutual Respect

After crossing the line while coasting to a stop, Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) reaches out to congratulate Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) on becoming the next to wear the Ochre Jersey of the leader of the Tour Down Under.  The stage winner, Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) looks on clearly sharing the respect that Yates was expressing to Vine.  Bilbao is now in second just 15 seconds behind and Yates is in third only one second behind the Bahrain-Victorious team leader.  Sitting fourth is still the young American Magnus Sheffield (Ineos-Grenadiers) which leaves him in the White Jersey of best young rider.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3928211-166-194179/Painting/mutual-respect-tdu23-20.html

Tour Down Under '23, Stage 3: The Dash to the Line

While it may have been Jay Vine (UAE Team Emeriates) who opened the attack that was quickly covered by Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula), it was the third man to join the escape at the summit of the Corkscrew, Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) who had the legs to mount the most aggresive sprint in the final kilometer.  The duo of Yates and Bilbao were around twenty seconds down on the general classification from Jay Vine, so all Vine had to do was keep them close as they race to the line in Campbelltown.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3928210-165-194179/Painting/the-dash-to-the-line-tdu23-19.html

Tour Down Under '23, Stage 3: The Same Duo

Just as it happened yesterday on Nettle Hill, it was Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) attacking the peloton on the final climb.  As he opened a gap on the others only Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) was able to get onto the wheel of the current King of the Mountains.  Should he be first over the Corkscrew, he will hold the jersey for another day.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3928208-164-194179/Painting/the-same-duo-tdu23-18.html

Tour Down Under '23, Stage 2: The Stage and the Jersey

As I said, Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) was looking like he was about to attack in the previous painting.  And he had enough power left to get away from his breakaway companions.  He just managed to have time to celebrate even as Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) tried as hard as he could to catch the Australian.  On his wheel and hidden by him is Mauro Schmid (Soudal-Quickstep) finishing in third.  Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) finished out the placings just a mere eleven seconds ahead of the fast closing peloton lead home by Caleb Ewan (UniSA-Australia).  With the ten second time bonus Dennis will be pulling on the next Ochre Jersey with a lead of just three seconds over Vine, a second less than the time bonus difference between first and second place on the stage.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3928093-161-194179/Painting/the-stage-and-the-jersey-tdu23-15.html

Tour Down Under '23, Stage 2: Lining It Up

As this quintet hit the one kilometer to go Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) looked back to find that Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) had caught back onto his wheel bringing Mauro Schmid (Soudal-Quickstep), Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) and Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) along with him.  As I was painting this it seemed to me that Dennis was looking a bit twitchy, like he was about to pull something.  Sure enough, as soon as I hid play Dennis jumped away from the others making a quick dash for the line.  He opened up a gap quickly but there were some powerful legs working to get back onto terms with the Australian.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3928092-160-194179/Painting/lining-it-up-tdu23-14.html

Tour Down Under '23, Stage 2: The Cream Is Rising

Just as the peloton regrouped at the base of Nettle Hill, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) went off the front seemingly in search of the King of the Mountains Jersey.  His move was quickly covered by Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) and that caught the attention of Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe).  While Vine was the first over the Category 1 climb (and the new leader in the KOM competiton), all four and one more slipped away from the peloton as they went over the top.  The five would open up a 45 second gap on the main peloton on the fast descent down to Victor Harbor.  It was looking like this group would contain the next Ochre Jersey since Alberto Bettiol was cramping up on the lower slopes.  As his muscles seized he lost his grip on the race lead.  He finished the day over two minutes behind the stage winner.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3928091-159-194179/Painting/the-cream-is-rising-tdu23-13.html