Binche-Chimay-Binche: Slipping Off the Front

With the UCI World Road Racing Championships done and dusted, the season is just about over.  Just a few more of the classics left to contest.  Today it was back to Belgium for a dash from Binche to Chimay and back again.  The racing was on with a fairly large group getting up the road.  As I have written before, large breakaways tend not to work well together, and today was no exception.  So it was that Thomas De Gendt (Omega Pharma Quick-Step) slipped off the front of his cadre of compatriots including, N. Arndt (Giant Shimano), J. Bol (Belkin), Kevin Reza (Europcar), and H. Houle (Ag2r).  Omega Pharma Quick-Step had come to win and had the riders and the strategy to make it happen.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson and Company, www.richesonart.com.  The painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  While you are there, why not take the time to look around and all of the cycling art on offer, including my soon to be released, "Book de Tour."  You can learn more and pre-order your own copy at http://www.dementimilestonepublishing.com/#!book-de-tour/c1nth

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2449108-120-114-195767/Painting/Sports.html#.VDX-Y8_D_IU

Tour Stage 9: Making Plans

First it was two riders that got off the front, but then a group of roughly two dozen decided that Astana was just hanging around and went off in search of glory, King of the Mountain points and for some the all import time gains on those above them in the General Classification.  Team Europcar managed to get five teammates into the group, some very heads up riding.  As Pierre Rolland and Kevin Reza pushed the pace on the front of the group, the pair seemed to discuss how they could lose some of the dead wood in the break, or maybe it was directions to a good brasserie in Mulhouse.  Europcar was in a great position to move Rolland up the GC since it seemed like Astana may be thinking about letting the Maillot Jaune slip off of Nibali's shoulders. This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com  It will also be one of the images included in my art book of the 2014 Tour de France, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order your copy or to get involved in bringing the 101st Tour to print please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are a wide variety of incentives most including an author/artist signed copy of the book starting at $5 USD.  If you would like to purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2402064---199992/Painting.html#.U8MoIsvD_IU

Dauphine Stage 2: Sprinting for Polka Dots

To clarify this title, the leader of the King of the Mountains competition in the Dauphine wears a red jersey with white polka dots (the reverse of the Tour de France).  So the five man break knows that one of their group will win the right to wear the jersey at the end of the stage.  Today, it was Kevin Reza (Europcar) had the legs to summit the first five climbs of the day first.  Each time he was followed over the top by Thomas Damuseau (Giant Shimano).  Damuseau did have an advantage of knowing these roads, the peloton road past his house at 37 kilometers into the stage.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that measures 4 inches by 6 inches and is available at my artist website, www.greigleach.com  To purchase this particular painting follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Do hurry though, you wouldn't want to miss out on this piece of art of the 66th Criterium du Dauphine.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2386084---199476/Painting.html#.U6Btes_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 2: Cresting a Small Climb

The first open road stage of the Criterium du Dauphine feature six categorized climbs, a rude awakening to the legs to be sure.  With a lot to ride for, these five attacked on the first climb of the day with a Polka Dot Jersey and maybe more at the end of the stage, Thomas Damuseau (Giant Shimano), Alexis Gougeard (AG2R), Kevin Reza (Europcar), Matthias Brandle (IAM Cycling) and Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale), were all opening for a great result at the end of the day.  This is an original 4"x6" ink and watercolor painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  Also this painting is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To buy this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But do hurry you wouldn't want to miss your chance to have a piece of the 66th Criterium du Dauphine.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2386070---199476/Painting.html#.U6BsUs_D_IU

Tour Stage Seven: Sitting Up

After 50 miles of chasing Team Cannondale and Peter Sagan, the sprinters had only pulled back 30 seconds, with another two minutes to get to Sagan and only another 20 miles left of the road the decision was made to stop the chase and sit up.  Basically it was a surrender to the well played gamble of Cannondale using the climbing ability of the Slovak Champion sprinter.  With Stage 8 being the first foray into the high mountains of the Pyrenees there was no sense in using a great deal of effort in a losing cause.  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 piece of art of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2178363---186227/Painting.html#.UeIaR8vD_IU