Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Leading Up the Cobbles

On the penultimate ascent of Libbie Hill, it was the American Coryn Rivera who lead the thinning peloton up the cobbles.  She was matched by the Italian Valentina Scandolara, Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) with Katarzyna Niewradonna (Poland) trying to hold the climbing carbon wheel.  The atmosphere on the hillside was electric as the starts of women's cycling ascended to Chruchhill yet another time.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Going It Alone

The Dutch team has been pushing the pace of the race around every lap.  With every attack there was a Dutch woman ready to drive the pace to pull the escapee back.  When it was Chantel Blaak's (Netherlands) time she jumped away on the ascent of the twisting cobbles of Libbie Hill.  Just so you all know, this is not a road that is ever open to traffic it is merely for us fool hardy cyclists to scale.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Anyway He Can

I found this piece of video on twitter of another one of the German riders attempting to make the best of a bad situation.  He apparently had a mechanical at the bottom of the cobbled climb of Libbie Hill.  A rider must have his (or her) bicycle with them to advance on the course, so rather than waste time standing on the side of the road awaiting neutral service, he shouldered his machine and ran up the hill.  I guess he figured the service mechanics would get to him eventually.  His progress was monitored by the race marshal clad in red leather and astride a motorcycle.

For the record Felix Gall (Austria) took first followed by Clement Betouigt-Suire (France) and Rasmus Pedersen (Denmark) rounded out the podium.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: The Winning Move

As the leading trio reached the summit up Libbie Hill for the final time, Anthony Turgis (France) made a powerful acceleration to jump through the inside corner grabbing the lead from Simone Consonni (Italy).  The Frenchman's teammate, Kevin Ledanois, watched his countryman go keeping a sharp eye on the Italian on his wheel.  As it turned out, the winning move didn't deliver the win and the Rainbow Jersey to Turgis...

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: The Rising Peloton

The peloton swung off of the main road and started up the cobbled climb of Libbie Hill.  As they made the turn, they passed under the arch announcing where they were.  It seems ironic to me that the climb appeared to be sponsored by Virginia Tourism.  Their slogan is "Virginia Is for Lovers."   I am quite sure that most of the peloton wasn't feeling any love for the roadway beneath there wheels, nor how many times they were going to have to pass under the "lover's sign"

I was tickled that the original of this painting was bought before I had even finished the line work part of the process.  But then it is a pretty strong image that tells the story of the days racing.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Crushing It

The title of this painting says it all.  Leapfrogging off of the efforts of her teammate, Emma White, Chloe Dygert (Team USA) crushed it on the final scaling of the first of the cobbled climbs.  Dygert was wise enough to use her solo break to find the smoother gutter of the climb saving the charging cobbles, the risk of a puncture or even a fall on the uneven surface.  It was clear with 5 kilometers left to race, no one was going to catch the gold medalist from the individual time trial earlier this week.  And no one did!  The tandem repeated their first and second in the ITT in the same order, each earning another of their respective medals.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Riding in Richmond

We have had the honor of hosting the young lady on the back of the second group on the road, Skye Davidson of Zimbabwe.  When I showed the work to Skye and her mother, Skye was able to identify where she was on the course (Libbie Hill), who the riders from New Zealand and Canada were, and just how much pain she was in trying to hold the wheel of the Kiwi rider just in front of her.  It is stunning just how relax and comfortable she has been since racing today.  I am sure I would be writhing in pain with leg cramps.  Ah, youth...

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Attacking the Cobbles

The climb up the cobbles of Libbie Hill was billed as the place to be for all of the weekend's road races.  It absolutely lived up to its billing.  Tacked on to the back of the peloton were young women from Sweden, the USA, Denmark, Switzerland and Italy, not that other team members were spread around the group.  Fortunately for the Women's Junior race, the fear rains held off and most negotiated the treacherous roads without incident.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Taking Them Up Libbie Hill

The Junior Women's Road Race was the first race of the road racing section of the UCI World Road Racing Championships.  The course featured some Belgium style cobble climbs, one up Libbie Hill to the top of Church Hill and the second even steeper one up 23rd Street back up to Church Hill again.  The racing took in one more climb before the finishing line, but at least the asphalt was as smooth as silk by comparison.  Emma White (Team USA) was the first to attack on the first lap up the much feared Libbie Hill.  White had taken the Silver medal earlier in the week in her class's Individual Time Trial.  I am elated to say that she garnered silver again at the finish line 7 laps later.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  These paintings are created live while watching the races through a feed provided by the Richmond 2015 Worlds organization.  For two more days, you will be able to watch me create the works live at the Fanfest area at 5th and Marshall Streets near the finish line.  You can also purchase either the originals or one of two different sizes of prints while you are there, or later at www.richmond.com.

Collegiate Nationals: Hitting the Cobbles

Libbie Hill's cobble stones and steep climb proved to be the deciding factor both for the attackers and those who suffered on each of the seven trips up this picturesque hill that overlooks the James River and the city of Richmond.  Sadly this climb was reached after a steep half kilometer approach before making this turn onto the cobbled section.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could be yours by visiting my artist website at www.greigleach.com or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Please take some time to browse around all of the art work on the site including the last year of racing around the world.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2359207---195767/Painting.html#.U2grTs_D_IU

Collegiate Nationals: Cresting Libbie Hill

One of the dramatic features of the road racing course is a Ardennes-like cobbled climb, the racers climb up from the James River for about a half kilometer before turning onto the cobbled climb of three switchbacks and some very rough pave.  Most of the spectators that weren't at the finishing line were spending the day watching the Collegiate riders suffer up a steep climb, 5 times for the women and 7 times for the men.  This, and one other cobbled climb, will feature prominently in the 2015 Worlds.  It was used to distance the peloton in both of the men's races and I would expect the same to happen when the pros come to town.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could be yours by visiting my artist website at www.greigleach.com, or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2359175---195767/Painting.html#.U2glDc_D_IU