Tour de France Stage 6: Three in a Row

Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar) put himself into yet another break away in the opening week of the Tour de France.  Quemeneur was joined in the effort, that went away with just five kilometers gone, by Daniel Teklehamanent (MTN-Qhubeka) and Kenneth Van Bilsen (Cofidis).  Teklehamanent started the day with the plan of fulfilling a childhood dream, a dream of wearing the Mailliot Pois in a Tour de France.  All he had to do was get over all three Category 4 climbs first.  As his teammate, Tyler Farrar, said, "Easy to say on the bus, an entirely different think to accomplish out on the road."  But accomplish it he did, making him the first black African to wear a King of the Mountain Jersey in one of the Grand Tours.  Van Bilsen's presence in the break marks the first time that the French team, Cofidis as showed their bright red kit to the TV cameras in this Tour.

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.  They are a family run art supply company located in the northern midwest United States.  You can find them on the web at www.richesonart.com.  You can find this painting and many others at my artist website at www.greigleach.com and you can purchase this painting for only $60 USD while you are there.  To buy this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2578442---210122/Painting.html#.VZ7CEvlViko

Tour de France Stage 4: Riding Into Hell

Lieuwe Westra (Astana) and Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar) left the break away companions behind as they charged over the cobblestones, sucked in the rolling dust and endured the screaming fans on their way over the #6 section of pave.  By this point, the Tour de France was finally racing on French soil, even if some of it was now in the lungs of racers, mechanics and fans alike.  Notice that teams will station soigneurs along the sections of pave with wheels held aloft should their man have a mechanical.  The roads are so narrow that it can take minutes for the team car to get to a rider should he need assistance.

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, www.richesonart.com.  This painting, and all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Remember it is an original painting, so don't delay, when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2577808---210122/Painting.html#.VZyr2flViko

Tour de France Stage 4: On to the Pave

Stage 4 continued the Spring Classics theme with the peloton cross seven sections of pave that are used in "The Hell of the North" otherwise known as Paris-Roubaix.  These four went off from the drop of the Depart flag building up an eight minute advantage over the nervous peloton.  Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar) managed to get into the second break away in three days (his team has been represented in all three).  Joining Quemeneur were Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Arnaud Gerard (Bretagne Seche) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal).  By the time the foursome reached the first section of pave the peloton was only 70 seconds behind them.

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, www.richesonart.com.  This painting, and all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Remember it is an original painting, so don't delay, when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2577802---210122/Painting.html#.VZymWflViko

Tour de France Stage 2: Parting the Sea

Stage 2 was the opening of the road racing in this year's Tour.  The peloton left Utrecht heading for the wide open flats of the Dutch country side covering 166 kilometers on their way to the edge of the North Sea and Zelande.  This group of four wasted no time getting away from the peloton, attacking as soon as the neutral zone came to an end and the racing flag was dropped.  The foursome of Amindo Fonseca (Bretagne Seche), Jan Barta (Bora-Argon 18), Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar), and Stef Clement (IAM Cycling) were never able to gain more than two minutes on those behind.  The stage profile showed that it would be a day for the sprinters unless the notorious winds of the Netherlands blew apart the peloton.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  In addition, this painting is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To buy this particular painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  But do hurry, since it is an original there is only one of these to be had.  International shipping is available, too.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2576846---210122/Painting.html#.VZoghvlViko

Tour Stage 2: Big Crowds for a Big Break

Day two of the Tour saw the break form in the first kilometer of racing for the second day in a row.  The group swelled to seven once Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) got across to the group containing, Blel Kadri (AG2R), the American Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing), Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis), Davide De La Cruz (NetApp Endura), Amindo Fonseca (Bretagne-Seche) and Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar).  All of these guys saw this stage with its nine categorized climbs as a great opportunity for the break away to succeed, at the very least as a chance to take over the KIng of the Mountains Polka Dot Jersey.  Estimates of the crowds along the roadside of Stage 1 ranged from one to two million people and from the start it looks like the 201 kilometers from York to Sheffield would top those numbers easily.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting 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 self published "Book de Tour (learn more about early orders and backing opportunities at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  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%202014/2397098---199992/Painting.html#.U7nASs_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 8: Attacking Each Other

Stage 8 to Montecapiolo started with a ten member breakaway that work well together building up to a ten minute lead on the peloton before the combination of a chasing peloton and ambitions within the escapees spell the flight's doom.  As the break started on the lower slopes of the first Category 1 climb of the 2014 Giro d'Italia, these three, Stefano Pirazzi (Bardiani CSF), Johan Davi Aredondo (Trek Factory Racing) and Perriq Quemeneur (Europcar), dropped the rest of the break as they set out in search of the cache of King of the Mountain points at the summit.  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%202014/2365127---198213/Painting.html#.U3hm9c_D_IU

Paris-Nice Stage 4: Following the Leader

Stage 4 was the first stage to feature some real climbs in the 2014 running of Paris Nice, and because of that the Polka Dot Jersey (awarded for being first over the most climbs) was destined to change hands today.  The early breakaway was set up to claim all of the available points and they seemed to have come to an agreement to let V. Agnoli of Astana grab all of the King of the Mountain points on the first climbs of the stage.  He gathered up enough points to don the Polka Dot Jersey at the finish of the stage.  Oddly, Team Bretagne missed this breakaway after having been represented in every break of every stage thus far.  Perhaps coincidently, each day's break has had the same number of riders as days in the race, so it was four today.  V. Agnoli of Astana, Jesus Herrada of Moviestar (and the National Champion of Spain), Laurent Didier of Trek Factory Racing and Perrig Quemeneur of Team Europcar were the riders to comprise today's effort.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com, or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2327069---195767/Painting.html#.UyEnjs_D_IU

Paris-Nice Stage 3: Swinging Out of Town

Team Bretagne put another rider into another break away, Romain Feillu was joined in the effort by Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) and Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar) in the gamble of trying to get one over on the peloton.  Unfortunately, the peloton showed its power in numbers and they made the catch within the last ten kilometers of the race.  With three riders away the only KOM points and sprint points were out of the competition for jersey today.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard created using watercolors and brushes from www.richesonart.com  In addition, this work (and all of my Paris Nice paintings) are available at my artist website, www.greigleach.com  Or for this painting you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2326213---195767/Painting.html#.Ux_Gts_D_IU