Paris Nice 2022: Teasing Each Other

Michael Morkov (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) had been up the road in the original 20 man break away at the start of the climb of the Col de Turini - although the measured climb had yet to start.  As he dropped off the pass and was caught by the peloton he made a very Italian looking gesture to Luke Rowe (Ineos-Grenadiers).  Morkov was pretending to be offended that his friend and oft times companion in the groupetto had chased him down.  It brought a big smile to Rowe's face and to that of Rowe's teammate the Spanish Champion Omar Fraille.  Given the effort that was going into the pace of the peloton, I'm sure a little levity was much appreciated.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Paris-Nice/3871880-70-272742/Painting/teasing-each-other-pn22-33.html

TDF, Stage 18: Over They Go

While two guys had already gone over the top of the Tourmalet, it was Wout Poels (Bahrain-Victorious) taking the most points of any of those near him in the quest to wear the Maillot a Pois in Paris.  He followed Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education-Nippo) and was in turned followed by Omar Fraille (Astana-Premier Tech).  The problem Poels is facing in this stage is the knowledge that the guy in second is Tadej Pogacar, who is leading the race in the Maillot Jaune and will most likely go for the stage win at the top of Luz Ardiden.  If he does it will be another 40 KOM points added to his total.  Poels will have to finish at least 5th to keep hold of the Polka Dots.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824249-119-291436/Painting/over-they-go-tdf21-118.html

TDF, Stage 14: Moving Up

I just now realized that this title is a pun.  First, my intention was to capture an image of Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) as he raced in one of the leading groups on the road.  He was tucked in with some chasers of the leader and another small group on the road.  He had Omar Fraile (Astana-Premier Tech) and Elie Geshert (Arkea-Samsic) for company, amongst others, to help build his gap back to the Maillot Juane group.  The other interpretation of the title is that this shot was caught from the helicopter as it literally moved up from this group and went in search of the peloton.  His effort led to him moving from ninth place overall into second just over four minutes off the lead in second place.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at www.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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3823020-88-291436/Painting/moving-up-tdf21-87.html

Tour, Stage 1: Slow It Down!

Several riders had already crashed on the wet twisty roads of the Alpes Maritime. Others had been trying to get the peloton to slow it down when Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) came up to Omar Fraille (Astana) he shouldn't have got any complaint, and yet he did.  Fraille's pace had seen his own team leader slide off the road and into a sign on the treacherous, wet descent.  Fortunately Miguel Angel Lopez did not seem to be hurt, but his bike was left in pieces.  From here until the flat lands with just 15 kilometers to race, calm and safety took over the mindset of the peloton.  Although there will still crashes, with an important one coming with just under three kilometers to race. 

It will be interesting to see who handle their crashes best as tomorrow will be the earliest mountain stage in decades.  Sore muscles, bad road rashes, and low morale could lose someone the Tour on just the second stage of the race.

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.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2020/3683793-4-282744/Painting/slow-down-tdf20-4.html

Tour, Stage 21: Around the Place du la Concorde

Some day someone will invent a pen with spell check...  I try to be as much in the moment when creating these works as possible and sometimes I get my titles wrong.  When I published my Tour de France book in 2014 (on my website under "Cycling Books Gallery") there were lots of edits, and I had to correct spelling on everything I tried to use French words for.

Now back to the race.  With the traditions of the day honored, it was time for some bike racing.  Every time, someone tries to surprise the peloton and jump off of the front.  In very, very rare occasions, this gambit has worked.  This quartet of Omar Fraille (Astana), Tom Scully (EF Education First), Jan Tratnik (Bahrain-Merida) and Niels Politt (Katusha-Alpecin) thought they would be the ones to beat the odds.  They weren't.  As they rounded the corner to go into the tunnel under the Place de la Concorde they had built up a twenty-five second lead over the currently contented peloton.

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.

Be sure to check out my daily videos on You Tube.  If you enjoy what you see on the channel, please subscribe.  I need to get over a hundred subscribers so I can name the channel, "Art of Cycling"

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202019/3366688-123-263530/Around%20the%20Place%20de%20la%20Concorde%20%20TDF19-123.html

LBL: Anyone Coming?

As this pair climbed the Cote du Rosier, it was Omar Fraile (Astana) looking back to see if anyone else was bridging across.  For Tanel Kangert (EF Education First) it was more about the effort of getting over yet another short steep climb.  For a break away, it is a delicate balance of numbers, particularly when there is still 60 kilometers to race.  You need numbers to help with the work load, but not so many as riders are able to sit on and use their saved energy to beat you to the finish line.  For Fraile and Kangert, two was too few.

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.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/3325625-444-195767/Anyone%20Coming?%20%20LBL19-2.html

Tour, Stage 14: Coming Home Alone

While Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) had led the race all of the way to the final climb, it was Omar Fraile (Astana) who went alone to the finish.  Fraile took the first Tour stage of Astana.  He came to the line a full eigthteen minutes ahead of the GC contenders.  It help his ranking, but did nothing to alter the top thirty spots on the leader board.

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-2018/3191768-77-251072/PaintingComing-Home-Alone--T18-76.html

Tour, Stage 9: A Drink Before the Cobbles

I am somewhat at the mercey of the video broadcast of the Tour, so I wasn't able to paint the peloton hitting the first section of pave today.  Instead, this is section 14, d'Eswars a Paillencourt, (counting backwards to Roubaix).  Just before the day's break away riders hit the cobble stones they wisely grab a drink.  No one should try to take a hand off of the handle bars once on the incredible rough pave sections.  At the back of the nine man group are Chad Haga (Sunweb), Olivier Le Gac (Groupama-FDJ), Lilian Calmejane (Direct Energie) and Omar Fraile (Astana). Every kilometer of today's stage will be lined by fans, many of home have been waiting (and drinking) for days just to see the Tour fight it out on these iconic roads of northern France.

You can watch this painting come together as I talk about watercolor painting, the Tour, professional cycling and who knows what else.  I hope you will take the time to watch the videos, and to become a subscriber to the channel (no charge).  And you can watch the video right here.

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-2018/3187631-42-251072/PaintingA-Drink-Before-the-Cobbles--T18-42.html

Vuelta, Stage 12: Slipping Away

With Morkov's attack neutralized, it was the young Australian, Brendan Canty (Cannondale-Drapac) who was the next to put in a go off the front.  More than half of the break had been dropped alredy on the Puerto del Torcal, so it was only Omar Fraile (Dimension Data), Tomasz Marczynski (Lotto Soudal), Pawel Poljanski (Bora Hansgrohe) and Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) who could stay on the young man's wheel.  With 23 kilometers left to race, it seems as though it is down to one of these five.

With the troubles that Canty's team are experiencing, it would be great to grab a bit of glory in the Vuelta.  The team has lost a major sponsor and is currently running a crowd funding drive on Indiego.com.

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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024523-12-239162/PaintingSlipping-Away-V-13.html

Giro, Stage 18: Warring Kings

Mikel Landa (Sky) started the day in the Maglia Azzurro of the King of the Mountians competition, but Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) wanted it back.  As the pair neared the summit of the second climb of the day, the Passo Valparola, Landa opened up a sprint for the top.  Fraile was able to stay with the Spaniard, and get around him to take the maximum points.  It is going to be harder to overtake Landa's lead in the competition however.

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/2972244-117-235247/PaintingWarring-Kings-G17-125.html

Giro, Stage 13: Almost a Day Off

Between the flatness of the stage and the relatively slow pace of the peloton, Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) must have felt like he was having a day off.  With no climbs nor King of the Mountain points on the stage, he knew that his Maglia Azzurro would be on his shoulders for at least one more day.  Although, right now he is having to speed through the team car caravan to get back up with the accelerating peloton after having a flat tire.

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. 

The computer gremlins have returned to my website.  Please email me at greigsart@gmail.com to puchase this painting for only $75 USD, shipping extra, and I ship anywhere in the world.

Giro, Stage 11: Finishing It Off

It is truly impressive that Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) was able to recuperate from his early efforts in the break away, pull even in King of the Mountain points and still take the stage victory at the end of the day.  Fraile out smarted Rui Costa (UAE Emirates) who claimed second.  They were followed home by Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) in third, Tanel Kangert (Astana) in fourth, and Ben Hermans (BMC) in sixth.  All in all, it was a great day of racing, that saw some movement in the general classification.  And yet, the top spots of the leader board all stayed as they were at the start of the day.

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 start of the Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in making this book get made, please consider supporting 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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2968108-80-235247/PaintingFinishing-It-Off-G17-81.html

Giro, Stage 11: Out Front, Again

Earlier, both Mikel Landa (Sky) and Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) had been caught by the chasing group.  While Landa went on out the back once he was caught, Fraile hung tough with the group.  After recovering from his earlier effort, he was able to join the attack of Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates).  In turn, they were joined by Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac).  Now the three were descending off of the final climb of the day hoping to hold off those behind.  It seemed clear now that the group of GC contenders riding with the Maglia Rosa, would never see the front group again.

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 start of the Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in making this book get made, please consider supporting 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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2968104-79-235247/PaintingOut-Front,-Again-G17-80.html

Giro, Stage 11: The Open Road

This pair had slipped away from the rather large break at the base of the second of four climbs on the day.  It was a bit of a surprise for me to see a Team Sky rider in the break, but then they have had to rethink their normal way of racing since Blockhaus.  It was Mikel Landa (Sky) who had nothing but open road ahead of him with Omar Fraile (Dimension Data) on his wheel.  The two had pried a two minute gap on their former break away companions and over five minutes on the group containing the Maglia Rosa.

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 start of the Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in making this book get made, please consider supporting 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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2968091-74-235247/PaintingThe-Open-Road-G17-75.html

Giro, Stage 9: Pushing On

The daily breaks seem to be getting larger and larger.  While yesterday may have been the largest today's collection started as two groups with these guys being out front.  Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates) was on the tail of 10 man group.  Iljo Keisse (Quickstep) was the next rider, most likely there to watch the others and be ready to help the Maglia Rosa - Bob Jungels - later on.  One of the others near the rear end is Omar Fraile (Dimension Data).  The break was trying to keep the chasers from joining them since Pierre Rolland (Cannondale-Drapac) was in their number.

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 start of the Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in making this book get made, please consider supporting 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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2966815-57-235247/PaintingPushing-On-G17-58.html