With the early two-man breakaway still up the road, there was only a one second bonus available at the intermediate sprint in Montlucon. It was a bit of a surprise to see Visma-Lease a Bike jump clear of the peloton. Less so to see Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates) joining the effort. It was a strong lead-out for Matteo Jorgenson by his teammate, Per Strand Hagenes, but it turned out to be unfruitful. At the last moment, Politt was able to get around the two Visma guys to take the bonus second. I think he was riding defensively, not wanting to give anything away to Jorgenson who finished second in the 2024 Criterium du Dauphine. He was making sure his team leader, Tadej Pogacar, would be as close to the first yellow jersey as possible.
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.
"Sprinting for One Second CdD25-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)
