Giro d'Italia Stage 20: Flying Down the Other Side

After taking second over the summit of the Sella Razzo, Brent Bookwalter (BMC) was joined on the speedy descent by Jonathan Monsalve (Neri Sottoli).  The pair hoped to get away from their break away companions and gain a head start up the final climb of the day and the Giro.  They were facing a 10 kilometer climb that had some 22% gradient sections, so any extra time would be a great asset.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting, please follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2373532---198213/Painting.html#.U4o6GcvD_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 14: Did We Shake Them?

Garmin Sharp has had a rough Giro thus far so after Pierre Rolland (Europcar) attacked the peloton, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin Sharp) and his teammate, Tom-Jette Slagter set out after the two Europcar teammates.  Ryder (one of the better names for a cyclist in the peloton) checked back over his shoulder to see what kind of gap they were getting on the group containing the Maglia Rosa and the other GC favorites.  He did spy Matteo Rabatini (Neri Sottoli) bridging up to him.  I image he would welcome the additional help in his escape attempt.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2369372---198213/Painting.html#.U4GFxM_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 10: Not Happy

The rules in the break away are that everyone do their fair share, but as the stage drew to an end and the peloton was closing in, Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli) was less than happy with the work being done by his companion, Marco Badiera (Androni-Giacaottoli).  Fedi was trying to get him to pull through but Badiera was sitting on.  Fedi wanted to keep pushing ahead in hopes that the peloton would get it wrong, perhaps Badiera knew it would be in vain.  In the end they shook hands as the peloton swooped down on them (another of the chivalrous traditions of professional cycling).  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2366653---198213/Painting.html#.U3uhG8_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 10: Playing to the Camera

With 173 kilometers of straight flat roads following a rest day, the peloton was in a very relaxed and playful mood.  They all knew that the real racing wasn't going to get going until the last 20 kilometers of the day.  Bear in mind that these guys are spending five or six hours together, shoulder to shoulder, tooling along on their bikes everyday.  They certainly get to know each other, build friendships, (and discover who they dislike), and the TV motos become a part of that society.  Don't forget that this goes on season after season.  So at the most likely encouragement of the cameraman, these riders from Movistar and Neri Sottoli, mugged for the camera and exchanged a kiss (they are Italians after all). Sorry I didn't catch the names or bib numbers of these two, notice that two guys from Giant Shimano are looking on in bemusement. This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com. For this particular painting you can follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2366641---198213/Painting.html#.U3ueE8_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 10: Racing on a Pancake

After the rest day, the organization decided to give a day to the sprinters and created a stage that was incredible flat.  There is just a tiny ripple at the end of the stage before the peloton will descend into Salsomaggiore.  Adding to the flatness is the relative shortness of the stage, totally only 173 kilometers.  So the big obstacle that the break is dealing with is simply a highway overpass.  The peloton let this two man break go early on with both, Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli) and Marco Bandeira (Androni Giacottoli), while having been in several breaks thus far, are over an hour down in the General Classification.  This works well for BMC, because it is the sprinters teams that will have to ride on the front of the peloton.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  Also, this painting and in fact all of my cycling art is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting you can follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But while you are there, why not take the time to browse around at all of the art on offer?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d%27Italia%202014/2366633-55-54-198213/Painting/Sports.html#.U3ua7s_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 9: Sprinting for the Top

Two things are going on here; one, these three, Eduard Vorganov (Katusha), Davide Malacarne (Europcar) and Jonathan Monslave (Neri Sottoli) are attacking to be the first to crest the climb to Sant Antonio and the KOM points on offer, and, two, they have decided that not everyone in the large break were working to the common goal of staying away, so they used the top of the climb to leave them behind.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting, you can follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But while you are there, why not take the time to browse all of the artwork on offer?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2365383---198213/Painting.html#.U3kXWs_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 6: Still Away at 15 K

The early break that had gotten away about 10 kilometers into the stage was still out in front (even if by only 40 seconds) as they went under the 15 kilometers to go banner.  The means they had been away from the peloton for 222 kilometers (roughly 133 miles) but there was a sharp sting in the tail up to Montecassio.  So it is hats off the efforts of Eduardo Zardini (Bardiani CSF), Torres (Team Colombia), Marco Bardiera (Androni Giocattoli) and Andrea Fedi (Neri Sottoli).  It is the second time Fedi has managed to get himself into a break away.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting you can follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But why not browse around and look at all of the artwork on offer?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2364483---198213/Painting.html#.U3Wg2c_D_IU