Tour, Stage 18: Rolling Along (2)

Ironically, I was congratulating myself this morning on not having duplicated a title for the first 95 paintings of this Tour.  And then I called this one "Rolling Along" and blew that stat.  This is a group of five that the peloton wasn't interested in letting go.  While Niki Terpstra (Quick Step) was pushing hard on the front, the peloton never gave them more than two minutes.  Joining the former Dutch national champion were two riders from Mitchelton-Scott, Matthew Heyman and Luke Durbridge, along with the French sprinter, Thomas Boudet (Direct Energie) and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Wanty-Groupe Gobert).  With today and Paris the last chances for the sprinters to get a stage, neither I nor more importantly the peloton were giving any chance of this break succeeding.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2018/3194584-97-251072/PaintingRolling-Along-2--T18-96.html

Paris Roubaix: Embracing His Victory

It was Matthew Hayman (Orica GreenEdge) who had slipped away at 72 kilometers to go, only to be brought back into the fold, that got the jump on the more season campaigners who came into the velodrome with the Australian.  Hayman seemed stunned and perhaps incredulous that he had actually one this most fabled of one day races.  He had just held off the veteran Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quickstep), as well as Ian Stannard (Team Sky).  Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL Jumbo) who had felt sure the race was his twenty minutes earlier, missed the podium, having poured all of his energy into the solo effort.  Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) came home almost a minute and a half later, with Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) arriving another three minutes later covered in the mud of northern France and the sweat of disappointment in a poorly timed tumble.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  In addition this painting, and all of my cycling artwork, 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.

Be sure to discover my most recent book, Art of Cycling: Richnond 2015 UCI Road World Chanpionships.  You can find the book at your favorite online retailer or at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2767310-318-195767/Painting.html#.Vwsn9fkrLIU

Paris Roubaix: Directing Traffic

Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quickstep) knew that two of his main rivals were over a minute behind and getting further back by the kilometer.  Boonen kept pushing those that were in the front group to keep working together.  While everyone wanted to win, none were interested in helping the four time winner Boonen get his fifth victory.  In this leading group were Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Ian Stannard (Sky) and now back in the fold, Matthew Hayman (Orica-GreenEdge), all with the pedigree to dream of victory in the velodrome of Roubaix at the end of this grueling race of 257.5 kilometers.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  In addition this painting, and all of my cycling artwork, 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.

Be sure to discover my most recent book, Art of Cycling: Richnond 2015 UCI Road World Chanpionships.  You can find the book at your favorite online retailer or at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2767301-315-195767/Painting.html#.VwsghPkrLIU

Paris Roubaix: Slipping Away

Orica-GreenEdge had come to the north of France to race and race they did.  After Luke Durbridge (Orica GreenEdge) had dropped off of the front of the race, the mantle for the team was taken up by Matthew Hayman.  Hayman slipped away from the everyone else on the road, attempting to go off on his own.  With 77 kilometers left to race, it was most likely too much to hope to stay away to the end, but the move did let everyone know that the Aussie was up to the challenges of the cobbles, rollers and winds of Northern France.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  In addition this painting, and all of my cycling artwork, 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.

Be sure to discover my most recent book, Art of Cycling: Richnond 2015 UCI Road World Chanpionships.  You can find the book at your favorite online retailer or at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2767289-312-195767/Painting.html#.VwsYOfkrLIU

Paris Roubaix: Opening Up a Gap

Perhaps it is true that there is strength in numbers.  Once a group of 16 had managed to join forces off of the front of the peloton, the break finally started to build up a bit of a gap on the fast riding peloton behind.  Tacked onto the pack of the group was Matthew Hayman (Orica-GreenEdge).  Some of those ahead of the Australian were Michael Morkov (Katusha), Tim Declercq (Topsport Vlaanderen) and Marko Kump (Lampre-Merida). All along the route, the gendarmerie race ahead to warn the riders of dangers along the road.  Once the riders have swung past, the officers jump onto their motorcycles and rush past the race to take up their warning job again.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company.  In addition this painting, and all of my cycling artwork, 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.

Be sure to discover my most recent book, Art of Cycling: Richnond 2015 UCI Road World Chanpionships.  You can find the book at your favorite online retailer or at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2767223-309-195767/Painting.html#.VwsQ5fkrLIU

Tour Down Under Final Stage: Swinging Around the Final Bend

As the lead out men hit the final bend of the 2015 Tour Down Under, it was all about speed and position.  Matthew Haymen was on the front leading out the points leader and his man, Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge).  He was brushing shoulders with the other men working for their sprinters, each trying to deliver their man to the line in the best possible position.  The new variation on the course ensured that the peloton would be flying off of the small climb and hitting the line at speeds topping out at 80 kilometers per hour.  Much faster than any car can hope to go on the downtown streets of Adelaide on any weekday.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that 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.  If you have enjoyed reading this coverage of the Tour Down Under, be sure to check out my new book, "Book de Tour - Art of the 101st Tour de France".  You can order your copy from the publisher's website here, http://www.dementimilestonepublishing.com/#!book-de-tour/c1nth

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20Down%20Under%202014/2501690---194179/Painting.html#.VMSnvNg5DIU

Tour Stage 5: Wet, Cold and Bumpy

The peloton may have avoided the traditional rainy days of England, but it caught up with them on the roads of Belgium.  Stage 5 offered up the same roads as the fabled Spring Classic, Paris Roubaix, the only bright side of the rain was that it force ASO (the race organizers) to remove to sections of pave.  The sections were underwater, not exactly ideal racing conditions.  Marcus Burghardt (BMC), Tony Martin, (OPQS), Rein Taaramae (Cofidis), Simon Clarke and Matthew Hayman (both Orica-GreenEdge) were some of the nine guys who got away from the opening kilometers of the stage.  With the uneven cobbles of northern France and Belgium facing the racers, I think they were eager to be done as soon as possible.  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.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published pictorial story of the Tour, "Book de Tour"  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order your copy or to learn how you can be involved in bring this race to print please visit my kickstarter campaign at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  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%202014/2399198-31-30-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U72YJsvD_IU