Tour de France, Final Stage: Prying Free

With Andriy Grivko's (Astana) first break away companion back into the peloton, he was joined by Jose Serpa (Lampre Merida) and Danilo Wyss (BMC).  With his cycling cap up under his helmet and his hipster mustache and goatee, Serpa almost looks like one of the riders who would have taken to the line at the very first Tour de France way back in 1903.  Of course, his bike is very, very modern.

This is an original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson and Company, www.richesonart.com.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To buy this particular painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Be aware, since this is an original work of art, once it has sold, it is gone.  I would recommend not delaying.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2586323-146-210122/Painting.html#.VbW_KflVikp

Tour Stage 16: Trying to Cover the Attack

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) was riding like a man possessed, repeatedly attacking his break away companions.  Hng not succeed in getting away on the Col des Ares, he picked up where he left off on the giant Port de Bales.  With the group now reduced to just Jose Serpa (Lampre-Merida), Mick Rodgers (Tinkoff Saxo), the Spanish National Champion, Jon Izaguirre (Movistar) and his teammate, Cyril Gautier.  Not only was it tough for the rest to cover his attacks, the TV Moto was having a bit of a time capturing all of the moves and the whereabouts of those who had been dropped by the accelerations.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published art book of the 101st Tour de France, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become involved in bringing this most unpredictable Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some fabulous incentives to encourage you to back the project starting a just $5 USD, and every backer, regardless of the amount pledge, will have their name in print on the Special Thanks page of the book.  If you would like to purchase this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but wouldn't you like to have a copy of "Book de Tour" as well?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2406672---199992/Painting.html#.U87o5c_D_IU

Tour Stage 16: Dancing Up the Mountain

The longest stage of the Tour de France, 237.5 kilometers, feature five categorized climbs, the final a Haute Categorie monster.  Astana and the peloton was happy to let a large break away get up the road, they had no worries about the Maillot Jaune, as not one of the 21 riders in the break represented a threat to Vincenzo Nibali, or any of the top ten on GC tucked into the peloton.  The break was bound to fall apart once they got to the fourth climb of the day.  It was on the way up the Col des Ares that the attacking started, with the ever aggressive Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) being the first to try and dance away when the road pointed up.  Voeckler has won twice before in the finishing town of Bagneres-de-Luchon and was riding in hopes of making it a third in a row, a feat not accomplished since 1961.  Europcar was well position to make the move having put three men clad in dark green into the break.  So it was Voeckler along with Cyril Gautier (Europcar) on the front of the group joined by Jose Serpa (Lampre-Merida) and Jan Bakelants (OPQS) as they toiled up the climb.  The break had built up an eleven minute lead on the disinterested peloton, so it was safe to assume they were racing for the stage victory.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published art book of the 101st Tour de France, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become involved in bringing this most unpredictable Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some fabulous incentives to encourage you to back the project starting a just $5 USD, and every backer, regardless of the amount pledge, will have their name in print on the Special Thanks page of the book.  If you would like to purchase this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but wouldn't you like to have a copy of "Book de Tour" as well?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2406660---199992/Painting.html#.U87l9s_D_IU

Tour Stage 14: Teammates

Normally, when you see one team member passing a bottle to another, it is a clearly defined roll of domestique to team leader, or of a domestique who has retrieve bidons for the entire team.  Mikel Nieve (Team Sky) passed a bottle over to Geraint Thomas under the watchful eye of Jose Serpa (Lampre-Merida) and the TV Moto, but it was unclear who was riding for whom.  While it was no where near as hot as the previous day, it is still essential that the riders keep their fluids up, not only for the task at hand, but to improve their recovery and to protect their form for the following stages.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and it will appear in my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order your copy, or to discover how to become involved in bringing the 101st Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some wonderful backer rewards all of which include the Backers name in print on the Special Thanks Page of the book.  Other incentives include an artist signed book, pins, original art, and a few lucky signed copies, signed by whomever wins this Tour de France.  If you would rather just purchase this particular painting, please follow the direct link at the end of this post, but wouldn't you rather have a copy of "Book de Tour" too?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2405250---199992/Painting.html#.U8vf58_D_IU

Tour Stage 14: Leading Them Out

Stage 14 took the peloton and this break away  through some stunning scenery in the high mountains outside of Grenoble.  The day started with another large break away, all with hopes that the GC men would be more interested in each other than worrying about a stage win.  With more than half of the teams in the Tour represented in the break, it was a relatively save bet that the guys on the front were in with a chance.  The only man who was here that was sure to drop off on the fabled climb of the Col d'Izoard, was the Green Jersey of Peter Sagan.  With an early intermediate sprint, he was in the break to capture maximum points towards holding the Maillot Vert on the podium in Paris.  He now has more than twice the points of Bryan Coquard and nearly his total from last year's Tour de France.  The group was lead out of the many tunnels of these Alpine roads by Jose Serpa (Lampre-Merida), Simon Yates (Orica GreenEdge) who is the youngest remaining rider in the Tour, along with Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale) and Rein Taaramae (Cofidis).  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company, www.richesonart.com.  The painting is also available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com, and it will appear in my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order your copy, or to discover how you can get involved in helping to bring the art of the 101st Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some excellent Backer rewards including an artist signed copy, original artwork, pins, postcards and all starting for as little as $5 USD.  Absolutely everyone who backs the project at any level will have their name included in print on the special thanks page of the book.  If you would like to purchase this particular painting, please follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2405246-105-102-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U8vX_M_D_IU