Tour '26, Stage 12: What Are We Thinking?

Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarche) was trying to discover what is fellow members of the breakaway were talking about.  The two up front, Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) and Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) seemed to be laying plans with sixty-three kilometers to race.  Ewen Costiou (Groupama FDJ-United) was eavesdropping hoping to find out whether they were going to attack, or just what they were up to.  I wonder whether the conversation was in Italian or French.  Although it does seem like the drop back language that most everyone knows is English.  With just thirty-eight seconds on the peloton, the decision that was reached was to sit up and wait for the peloton.  Well, at least that is what Caruso and Vercher did.  The other two Frenchmen, Veistroffer and Costiou pressed on with their efforts.

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: "What Are We Thinking? TdF26-80" (Original art by Greig Leach) 

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '25, Stage 11: Amongst the French

Obviously, the Tour de France is spent amongst the French both in the race and lining nearly every kilometer of the Grande Boucle.  Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling) was the lone Austrian amongst this five-man group that has gone off in search of the breakaway.  He was attacking with two Frenchmen on one French team, Alexandre Delettre and Matteo Vercher of TotalEnergies and an additional two Frenchmen on another French team, Clement Berthet and Bastien Tronchon of Decathlon-Ag2r-La Mondiale.  Unfortunately for the quintet, they were caught by the peloton not long after I painted this with another 102 kilometers that will bring them back to where they started in Toulouse. 

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. 

"Amongst the French TdF25-67" (Original art by Greig Leach)

This painting has sold!

Tour '25, Stage 8: We Have the Right to Race

After the intermediate sprint riders from TotalEnergies tried to go on the attack but were immediately covered by Lidl-Trek's Quinn Simmons.  When that was happening Romain Secard (the TotalEnergies directeur sportif) was on the radio telling his guys that "We have the right to race."  He was basically telling his team screw Lidl-Trek, they are going to race the way they want to race.  I guess Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Vercher got the message and jumped from a bit further down the peloton.  By so doing, they were already at full speed before anyone saw them attack.  The teammates build up almost a minute advantage as they went under one of the many advertisings banners out on course.  I am sure the sprinters aren't going to let them stay off the front for too long, they were hoping to claim stage honors for themselves.

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. 

"We Have the Right to Race TdF25-51" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '25, Stage 1: At What Cost?

With the next climb looming, Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) jumped free of the peloton.  He was chased by Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) who hoped to gain just one more point in his quest to claim the Maillot a Pois of best climber (to date) of the Tour.  The two had been in the early break, but managed to get away the peloton for a second time - a rarity in the modern era of the Tour.  The two traded attacks on the way up the Sainte Marie Cappel.  It looked like it would go to Vercher, but with a final turn of the crank, Thomas got to the line first.  However, as I suspected when I paused the video to paint this, his effort made his rear wheel slide out on the cobblestones and over he went taking Vercher with him.  Depending on how he feels for the rest of the Tour, I guess the cost was worth the prize.  Vercher didn't go unrewarded.  He was named the most aggressive rider of the first stage of the 2025 Tour de France.

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.

"At What Cost? TdF25-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '24, Stage 18: Another First

With a brilliantly timed sprint, Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) gets his first Tour de France stage win of his career.  He also gets the first win in this Tour for his team.  He is sixth guy to win his first ever Tour stage.  Plus, his team is one of a dozen teams to have won at least one stage this year. Two of those teams have never won a stage in the Tour de France before.  It was Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) getting the better of Michal Kwiatowski (Ineos-Grenadiers).  While Kwiato had done the lion share of the work to make this a three-man sprint, he may have spent too much energy to have much of a sprint in Barcelonnette.  I am sure he was disappointed for both himself and his team.  Still, there are three more stages for Ineos-Grenadiers and the other nine teams to try to get onto the record board.

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. 

"Another First TdF24-116" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '24, Stage 18: Bowing to the Devil

The ever-popular Didi Stenft (the Devil) was along the side of the road to cheer on each group of the race as they rode pass.  I'm not sure why he had a small chalkboard with 31 written on it.  I can only assume it was for how many Tours he has cheered with his presence.  It seemed that Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) bowed his head as he went by.  The trio of escapees was still being led by the former World Champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos-Grenadiers) followed by the French Tour neophyte Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) and of course Campenaerts.  Each man was looking for the stage win, as were there teams.  Only Vercher's TotalEnergies had managed to have a team member win a stage.

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.  

"Bowing to the Devil TdF24-115" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '24, Stage 18: Three Free to Fly

Both Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) and Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies) were finally able to bridge up to Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos-Kwiatkowski).  Kwiato was hoping he could break the stage win dry spell in this Tour for his team.  The legacy of Ineos-Grenadiers is vast and very successful with about a decade of Tour Yellow Jersey with three different men.  Here we are almost to the end of stage 18 and they have yet to win a stage.  Arguably the strongest of the three, it seems this will be the chance to break the drought.  With a mere twenty-five kilometers to race, the trio had twenty seconds on the five-man chasing group, another minute and twenty seconds to the main chasers, and a whopping thirteen minutes back to the peloton containing all of the leaders' jerseys.

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.

"Three Free to Fly TdF24-113" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '24, Stage 5: Little Chance

Perhaps because they knew it would be futile to try and hold off the sprinters' teams it wasn't until 45 kilometers before a break away got formed.  It was Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) that got off the front alone.  Within a kilometer or two he was joined by Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies).  I believe that Groupama-FDJ has been in every single break away of the Tour thus far.  The duo built up a nearly five minute lead on those behind before they started the chase in earnest behind.

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.

"Little Chance TdF24-23" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '24, Stage 1: Working Together

The Tour started today in Italy (for the first time in the Tour's history) under sweltering heat in Florence.  It took a while, but the break away finally formed after about forty kilometers of racing.  TotalEnergies managed to get to of their guys into the break.  Matteo Vercher dropped back to the team car to get an ice bag for himself and then passed one to his teammate Sandy Dujardin.  They were joined by six others including Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) and Frank Van Der Broek (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL).  They managed to build a lead of almost six minutes before the peloton started to get nervous about some of the members of those in the break.

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.

"Working Together TdF24-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)