Tour Femmes '26, Stage 6: Under Escort

When I first saw Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) off the back of the peloton on the climb of the Col de Lalouvesc I assumed she was struggling.  The Mauritian Champion apparently had some sort of a mechanical and was now on her spare bike.  She was being escorted back to the peloton by her teammates Justine Ghekiere and the Spanish Champion Mirela Benito.  It seems that she also rated an escort by the gendarme and his motorcycle as well.  Obviously, that is where the title came from.  She did rejoin the leading group, but more about that later.

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.

Purchase this painting here: "Under Escort TdFF26-34" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour Femmes '25, Stage 7: Up Close

The fans lined both sides of the summit of the Cote de Saint Franc, many with their children on their shoulders, to cheer the breakaway across the top of the first climb of the day.  The break was led over the Queen of the Mountains point by yesterday's stand-out Maeva Squiban (UAE Team Emirates).  She was followed over the top by Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal), Mareille Meijering (Movistar) and Celia Mouel (Ceratizit).  There were three more just behind the sextet, but I can't see everyone all of the time, unlike these fans who will see everyone come over this mountain eventually.

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.

"Up Close TdFF25-38" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Femmes '25, Stage 7: Are You Coming?

Wearing her green bib number indicating she was voted the most aggressive rider from stage 6, Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) looks back at the TV Moto as if to ask if he is going to come with her.   She is on the tail of the day's early breakaway.  Beside her seeming to try and guest what Squiban is looking at is Susanne Andersen (Uno X-Mobility).  Just in front of her is the Belgian Champion, Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal).  Had I known how this stage was going to end, I may have read something else into this look over her shoulder.

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.

"Are You Coming? TdFF25-36" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Femmes '25, Stage 3: Tightly Packed

The peloton had started the process of pulling back the breakaway when there was still another seventy-five kilometers to ride to Angers.  The gap had been out to four minutes but by now it was just over three minutes to the four-woman group off the front.  Inside the peloton Kimberley Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) was riding with her teammates shepherded by the Belgium Champion Justine Ghekiere.  Next to the Maillot Jaune Herietta Christie (EF Education-Oatley) passes a bottle over to her teammate (an USA National Champion) Kristen Faulkner.  Faulkner came to the world's notice when she won the Gold Medal in the Olympic Road Race on the same course that the men finished the Tour de France yesterday.

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. 

"Tightly Packed TdFF25-12" (Original art by Greig Leach)

UCI Road World Championships, Zurich 2024, Elite Women's Road Race: Holding a Minute

 As in every UCI Worlds the Dutch fans were out in force all along the 154-kilometer course in and around Zurich with ever wilder fan costumes, flags, and banners.  Just as noticeable are their orange clad racers setting the pace off the front of the peloton.  One the wheel of her teammate Reijane Markus, Marianne Vos (Netherlands) helps pull the quartet in their effort to stay away from some of the other favorites for the day.  On Vos' wheel is Justine Ghekiere (Belgium).  Looking back to see just how close the chasers are is the Australian, Ruby Roseman-Gannon.  The foursome had built a lead of just over a minute, but as they rode by the large painted Dutch flag the gap had dropped to fifty seconds.

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.

"Holding a Minute Z24-3" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 7: Better than Planned!

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) had planned on building on her lead in the Queen of the Mountains competition, I don't think she thought she would take the stage as well.  In fact, in her post race interview she had said, "I must still be dreaming."  An added bonus for her ride today is that she has moved herself into the top ten (10th) in the general classification in addition to her solid lead for her Maillot a Pois.  She still will have to be off the front for the final stage tomorrow but at least she will be on her polka dotted bike at the start in Le Grand Bonnand.  Not a bad day out at all.

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.

"Better than Planned TdFF24-37" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 7: Sticking to the Plan

In her pre-race interview Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) was asked about her plan for the day after she gleefully showed off her full polka dot kit for today's stage.  She also revealed that her team had promised her a new bike with a polka dot paint job if she still held the jersey at the end of the day.  So, her response to the question was, "I'll get into the breakaway and gain as many QOM points as I can."   She was still off the front having spent the whole stage in the breakaway collecting the maximum points on every climb thus far with the exception with the first one of the day.  (She was second over that one) Perhaps she had decided that she should go over the final climb first as well.  She was now on her own just going under the flame rouge that signifies that she now has just one kilometer left to race.  At this point she still has a minute and a half on the lone chaser and a little more to the group containing the Maillot Jaune.  I don't think her plan had included winning the stage, but she did want to collect as many QOM points towards her Maillot a Pois as she could.

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.

"Sticking to the Plan TdFF24-36" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 7: We Can Do This!

Both Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) had gotten into the early breakaway both in search of adding to the point totals in their respective jerseys.  I'm guessing that the peloton let them go thinking both would come back to the peloton after they achieved their jersey goals.  They forgot that it was Marianne Vos they let go.  The escape group was about eight strong but with forty-two kilometers to go the pair of jerseys and Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) on a move off the front.  Vos seemed to look back and encourage the others to keep going believing that they had a chance of staying away from the peloton.  After all they had around five minutes advantage with just over forty k to go.  The regular formula is that the peloton can pull back a minute every ten kilometers, so the math says they have a chance.  The caveat is that formula applies to flat stages, and the end of this one was anything but flat. 

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.

"We Can Do This! TdFF24-33" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 6: Leaving the Others Behind

Using the climb of the Core de la Rouche du Pretre, these six women jumped clear of the breakaway that they had been with most of the day.  Leading the escapees is Sheyla Gutierrez (Movistar) followed in turned by the Olympic Time Trial Gold Mealist Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal), Soraya Paladin (Canyon/SRAM).  It is Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) bringing up the rear of the group.  Ghekiere has been grabbing Queen of the Mountain points all day and is now the virtual owner of the Maillot a Pois.  She is also the current virtual Maillot Jaune too, but that isn't likely to stand.  She did become the new Queen of the Mountains at the end of the day, conversely, she lost placings in the general classification.

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.

"Leaving the Others Behind TdFF24-29" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 4: Slipped Away Over the Top

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) went for the Queen of the Mountain points over the top of the Cote des Forges.  As she claimed the maximum points she realized that she had a gap on the peloton.  As they looked at each other, she decided to see just how much time she could put into them in the closing kilometers of the stage.  As she went under the 20 kilometers to go banner she had built up a twenty-two second lead on the group of favorites behind.  She has one more Category 2 climb yet on the horizon, so she has a chance if those behind start looking at each other and don't chase.  Unfortunately for her, the women behind decided each would try to drop the other and in so doing caught her on the final climb up the Cote de la Roche aux Faucons.

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.

"Slipped Away Over the Top TdFF24-19" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Fleche Wallone 23, Women’s Race: Stuck in the Middle

Try as they might, Ricardo Bavernfeind (Canyon-SRAM), Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ) and Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal-Quick Step) weren’t not able to catch the lone leader, Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo).  With 47 seconds to Spratt, they had the peloton closing in on them, just another 24 seconds back.  They seemed to be stuck there in the middle, neither gaining on the one ahead, nor losing time to the peloton behind.  At this point they were about to climb the penultimate cote of the day.  They weren’t giving up, but success seemed less likely with each pedal revolution.

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, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946399-539-195767/Painting/stuck-in-the-middle-fwf23-3.html

Wollongong 2022, Women's Road Race: Off the Front

As the women hit the Wollongong city circuit for the first time it was Elynor Backstedt (Great Britain) off the front with two others.  Her sister had already won the Junior Women's Road Race, and she was hoping she would be able to bring home her own Rainbow Jersey in the U23 Women's Road Race.  Backstedt was joined in the effort by fellow U23 rider Caroline Andersson (Sweden) and the Elite rider Justine Ghekiere (Belgium).  The three had opened up roughly a minute and a half on the peloton as they approached the start of the first of six laps through the city.  Still, the peloton had yet to show any real aggression.  They still have another 87 kilometers to race, so... plenty of time to go.

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/Wollongong-2022-UCI-Road-World-Championships/3907614-21-295031/Painting/off-the-front-uci22-21.html