Giro, Final Stage: Well, That's Done

Tejay van Garderen (BMC) had neither the race, nor the time trials that he had hoped for in the Giro.  He as able to get a stage win, which did quite a bit to ease the pain of the disappointment.  BMC didn't exactly get what they were looking for either, it went wrong when their strongman Rohan Dennis was forced to abandon the race after a crash early on.  I hadn't seen the crash, nor did I catch when he withdrew.  I have been watching the race in Italian, a language I do not speak, so I have missed some of the details that occured off camera.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be 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.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

With the racing of the 100th Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in helping this book get made, please consider backing the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/art-of-cycling-100th-giro-ditalia.  This will be just one of the hundred plus paintings that will be included. With Kickstarter, if there is not a 100% funded, no one is charged a dime, and the project recieves 0% funding.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2974360-145-235247/PaintingWell,-That's-Done-G17-153.html

Giro, Final Stage: Rolling

Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) rolled down the ramp on his way to a less than stellar individual time trial.  He need not worry, he has raced a brilliant Giro that included a stage victory.  I will admit that I am a fan of the Frenchman and have enjoyed his agressive racing.  I imagine that today's performance was due partly to the aggression he has exhibited in the final week of the race.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be 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.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

With the racing of the 100th Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in helping this book get made, please consider backing the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/art-of-cycling-100th-giro-ditalia.  This will be just one of the hundred plus paintings that will be included. With Kickstarter, if there is not a 100% funded, no one is charged a dime, and the project recieves 0% funding.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2974356-143-235247/PaintingRolling-G17-151.html

Giro Final Stage:An Upset Victory

This year's Giro seems to be the year of the breakaways.  I don't have an exact number, but it feels like far more stages have been won by a member of the breakaway, either the early break working all day to achieve victory, or like today, the late attack that catches the peloton off guard.   For this pair of Lijo Keisse (Etixx Quickstep) and Luke Durbridge (Orica BreenEdge) you could see it enter their minds on the bell lap that one of them was about to win the final stage of the 98th Giro d'Italia.  Keisse had the advantage of coming from the track and from being wise enough to force Durbridge to start his sprint from the front.  Durbridge did what he could but with the peloton charging down on the duo, he couldn't do the classic game of cat and mouse, but instead had to hope that he had the legs and Keisse didn't.  Alas, for the Aussie, Keisse had them.  Durbridge can take comfort knowing that Orica GreenEdge held the first four Maglia Rosas and one the opening Team Time Trial stage.  Whereas, Etixx-Quickstep had yet to claim a stage, and their team leader had been unable to produce his former prowess in previous Giros.  So it was truly and upset victory even if the over all winner has been known for weeks.  So "Chapeau, Contador!"

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from the small family run art supply company, Jack Richeson and Company.  There website is www.richesonart.com.  Plus, this painting is available through my artist website for only $50 USD, plus shipping (international is available) at www.greigleach.com.  To get this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't delay.  This is an original work of art, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d%20Italia/2561858---184157/Painting.html#.VWvLgM9Viko

Giro Final Stage: Trying to Make It Stick

Luke Durbridge (Orica GreenEdge) and Lijo Keisse (Etixx Quickstep) went from almost the moment the Promenade was over, prying almost a thirty second gab on the peloton full of sprinters.  Sprinters who surely wanted to vie for one more stage victory.  With the technical nature of the 5 lap circuit, the powerful duo had the strength and the long shot of actually making the escape stick.  They had already spoiled the Red Jersey hopefuls chances of getting maximum points at the intermediate sprint, now it was beginning to look like they might do the same at the final finish line of the 98th Giro d'Italia.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from the small family run art supply company, Jack Richeson and Company.  There website is www.richesonart.com.  Plus, this painting is available through my artist website for only $50 USD, plus shipping (international is available) at www.greigleach.com.  To get this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't delay.  This is an original work of art, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d%20Italia/2561846---184157/Painting.html#.VWvFfs9Viko

Giro Final Stage: Starting an Arguement

With two riders up the road the points on offer for the remaining positions in the intermediate sprints were greatly reduced.  It is theorized that Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek Factory Racing) and Sacha Modolo (Lampre Merida) had come to an arrangement that neither would sprint for the victory at the intermediate sprint leaving it all for the final sprint.  It seems that someone started to go for the early sprint, perhaps interpreting that since the breakaway had "won" the sprint, they were free to attack all of the other sprint hopefuls.  With the point differential in the race for the Red Jersey so tight, tempers seemed to be on edge.  Nizzolo appears to reach out and grab the jersey of Modolo right before Nizzolo and Trek Factory racing attacked for the remaining sprint points.  In the ensuing laps, the pair literally butted heads, shoulders and elbows.  Fortunately, the feathers seemed to have been back in place by the end of the stage, otherwise a head butt could have sent bikes and bodies flying all over the place.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from the small family run art supply company, Jack Richeson and Company.  There website is www.richesonart.com.  Plus, this painting is available through my artist website for only $50 USD, plus shipping (international is available) at www.greigleach.com.  To get this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't delay.  This is an original work of art, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d%20Italia/2561844---184157/Painting.html#.VWvBhM9Viko

Giro Final Stage: On a Promenade

Much as in the Tour de France, the peloton allowed the entire team of Tinkoff Saxo to ride onto the finishing circuit in Milan en mass with the Maglia Rosa tucked onto the end of the procession.  Close on the heals of Tinkoff Saxo were that Astana boys all in blue.  Astana holds the Maglia Blanco, the best team title and second and third on the general classification.  They do not hold the King of the Mountains Jersey as I said in my final post from yesterday.  Sorry, I had gotten bad information.  The Maglia Azzurro stayed on the shoulders of Giovanni Visconti (Movistar), so he finishes the Giro as the King of the Mountains.  The only Jersey that could possible change hands (barring any extreme misfortune) is the Red of the most consistent sprinter.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from the small family run art supply company, Jack Richeson and Company.  There website is www.richesonart.com.  Plus, this painting is available through my artist website for only $50 USD, plus shipping (international is available) at www.greigleach.com.  To get this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but don't delay.  This is an original work of art, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d%20Italia/2561842---184157/Painting.html#.VWu9EM9Viko