Tour '26, Stage 15: Outsprinting Yellow!

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) had the un-enviable position of having to take on two very strong guys from the same team at the finale of Stage 15.  He had climbed pedal stroke for pedal stroke with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and his teammate Isaac Del Toro.  Tadej was riding as a super-domestique for Isaac in hopes of helping the Mexican Champion to both the stage win and reclaiming the Maillot Blanc of best young rider.  After Del Toro had attack twice and been caught by Evenepoel, it was Evenepoel's turn to go.  To pretty much everyone's surprise, Pogacar couldn't get around the former World Champion, perhaps a first this season.  Some seemed to think that the Maillot Jaune let the stage go, but that would be out of character for the Maillot Jaune - unless of course it was a teammate that was going to win the stage.  Evenepoel now moves into second place, with Del Toro moving into third and the Maillot Blanc.  Quinn Simmons still managed a tenth place. With his teammates finishing sixth and eighth, Lidl-Trek holds onto its lead in the team classification for at least one more stage.

Now onto the rest day, that will be followed by and individual time trial.  Should be interesting...

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Outsprinting Yellow! TdF26-114" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

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Tour '26, Stage 15: Fighting to Stay in White

In can be argued that Paul Seixas (Decathlon-CMA CGM) is the best young rider in the Tour, he is certainly the youngest rider in a very long time.  Yesterday he claimed the Maillot Blanc that is awarded to the best placed rider under the age of 25 at the start of the Tour.  On the climb of the Plateau de Solaison, he was in danger of losing that white jersey.  On his wheel was the winner of that honor from 2025, Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). Lipowitz wasn't about to help the teenager.  His teammate was up the road, so Lipowitz was going to sit on the wheel and try to out sprint him for fourth on the stage.  He couldn't quite manage it, finishing just behind Seixas, much as they are now.   Seixas came in 52 seconds behind Isaac Del Toro who got a six second time bonus for finishing third.  The Maillot Blanc will go back to Del Toro, with Seixas in second trailing by twenty-five seconds.  He does move into fourth in the general classification behind Del Toro, again, by obviously the same time gap.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Fighting to Stay in White TdF26-113" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

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Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '26, Stage 15: Grinding Up the Climb

This was the first time the Tour de France has ever scaled the Plateau de Solaison, I suspect it will be back.  Once Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) hit the front with his teammate Isaac Del Toro, the only guy who could hold onto the two stars was Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).  The trio was distancing Evenepoel's teammate/team rival Florian Lipowitz and the rest of any of the general classification hopefuls.  It seemed like Pogacar was being a super-domestique to Del Toro.  Was he planning on gifting the Mexican Champion another stage, or was he riding to get him back into the Maillot Blanc of the best young rider in the Tour?  Of course, they still had to catch Quinn Simmons who was a little over a minute up the climb.  Unfortunately for the American Champion, there was just under seven kilometers to go and the chasers had pulled back a half a minute in only a single kilometer.  I don't think this will be the stage victory that Simmons is still seeking.

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Grinding Up the Climb TdF26-112" (Original art by Greig Leach)

This painting has sold, but digital prints are available at the link above.

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '26, Stage 15: With Conviction

Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) was on fire today.  He jumped from the very small breakaway on the final climb of the day, the Plateau de Solaison.  He chased down Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula) the former Swiss champion as they raced near the border with Switzerland.  I thought he would sit on Schmid's wheel for a bit on the HC (outside category) climb, but no, he went straight on by.  He was racing with the conviction that the peloton would worry too much about each other to bother chasing him.  With nine more kilometers to climb to the summit and the end of the stage he still had a minute and forty-five seconds on the group containing the yellow jersey.  That would be plenty of time if it was a flat stage, but this is a climb with an average of a 9% gradient.  

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "With Conviction TdF26-111" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist →