The Art of Cycling: La Plagne

Showing posts with label La Plagne. Show all posts

Friday, July 25, 2025

Tour '25, Stage 19: On to the Final Mountain

This is the last mountain stage of this Tour and the peloton of the elite are just now hitting the final climb in the Alps. Well, actually, the final HC climb of this years' Tour de France. Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates) looks back to make sure his team leader, Tadej Pogacar is still on his wheel. He is. Right on the wheel of the Maillot Jaune is Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) wearing the Maillot a Pois on loan from Pogacar. Vingegaard has little hope of pulling back over four minutes to move into first, conversely, he has little worry that anyone will pull back over four minutes on him either. The final step of the podium is a different matter altogether. Massing behind are Aurelien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon-Ag2r-La Mondiale) riding for his team leader, Tobias Johannessen (Uno X-Mobility), and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost). The stage ends at the top of this climb up La Plagne, so the final podium will be much clearer at the top in about eighteen kilometers.

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.

"On to the Final Mountain TdF25-129" (Original art by Greig Leach)

This painting has now sold!

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Dauphine, Stage 7: Celebrating Alone

He did it! Mark Padun (Bahrain-Merida) was able to stay off the front to take the stage up to La Palgne. His win marks the third stage taken by a solo break away with no other riders in sight. If you include Geraint Thomas' (Ineos-Grenadiers) late solo ride to victory with a closing peloton just missing the catch, four out of seven stages of this years Criterium du Dauphine was one by a solo break. That must be some sort of record. Behind Richie Porte (Ineos-Grenadiers) took second which with the gap on the others and a six second time bonus moved him into the overall race lead by 17 seconds over the erstwhile leader, Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Premier Tech). He also jumped back over his teammate Geraint Thomas on the team by just shy of half of a minute. One more mountain top finish to go and there are still 17 riders within two minutes of Porte, so the final stage will be hard fought. But, Porte has the edge over them all.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since ti is an original work of art, it is a first come first seved reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburth watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Criterium-du-Dauphine/3815714-123-185083/Painting/celebrating-alone-cd21-39.html

Dauphine, Stage 7: Hoping to Go It Alone

With so many stage of this Dauphine being one by a guy going solo to the line, Mark Padun (Bahrain-Victorious) was hoping he would be another to add his name to that tally. He was able to drop the American climber, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) and every other guy in the race on the 11% gradient of the final climb of the day. The NBC announcers were sure that Kuss would come back, and were equally surprised that Padun was off on his own. But then, the riders know their own legs (and their own will to succeed) better than anyone else.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Criterium-du-Dauphine/3815712-122-185083/Painting/hoping-to-go-it-alone-cd21-38.html

Dauphine, Stage 7: Who Is Where?

Richie Porte (Ineos-Grenadiers) was the first of the GC riders to go on the offensive on the final climb of the day. Porte's attack was covered by Enric Mas (Movistar), the American Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), and Mark Padun (Bahrain-Victorious). Porte looked back on a sharp turned to see what was happening behind. His teammate and team leader, Geraint Thomas, wasn't coming along for the ride. I think he, and everyone else, thought this was part one of a two part plan by Ineos. It may have been, but only Porte had the legs to do his part of the plan.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Criterium-du-Dauphine/3815698-121-185083/Painting/who-is-where-cd21-37.html

Dauphine, Stage 7: We Tried

Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels) reached out to salute his erstwhile break away companion, Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo). The pair fist bumped as the peloton close in. You may be able to just make out the Movistar lead reduced peloton just around the corner. While in the break alliances are made, and later broken, but this one seems to have stood the test of kilometers. They had managed to stay away until the final eleven kilometers to the summit in La Plagne.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Criterium-du-Dauphine/3815691-120-185083/Painting/we-tried-cd21-36.html

Dauphine, Stage 7: Job Done

For some team members it is the goal to win the stage, or perhaps the stage race, but for most it is to help others achieve those goals. For the guys who work tirelessly to achieve the wins for others, the title of domestique is theirs. The Costa Rican, Andrey Amado (Ineos-Grenadiers) had done all he could do for the team on the climb of La Plagne. With 15 kilometers left to race, he dropped of the front and rode to the line as best he could. Ahead of him was the neutral support vehicle provided by Shimano with Marco Haller (Bahrain-Victorious) joining others that were sliding off the back of the ever shrinking peloton.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Criterium-du-Dauphine/3815690-119-185083/Painting/job-done-cd21-35.html