Tour '24, Stage 15: Still Together

With another twelve kilometers to the summit the top men on the general classification were still all together.  As they went up the Plateau de Beille it was Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) setting a hard tempo with his team leader Jonas Vingegaard on his wheel.  Vingegaard is wearing the Maillot a Pois on loan from the guy in line behind him, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).  Since Pogacar has the Maillot Juane he certainly can't wear two jerseys at once, the guy in second in the King of the Mountains competition.  On the wheel of the yellow jersey is Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) in the Maillot Blanc of best young rider.  Evenepoel sits third in the GC but is over three minutes off of the lead.  Usually, I can find a Frenchman doing everything he can to win on Bastille Day, but there was literally not a single one in sight.  Best I could do was the French flag being waved by the fans along the side of the climb.

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. 

"Still Together TdF24-90" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France, Stage 12: Saluting the Fans

Roaquin Rodriguez (Katusha) cross the line all on his own having dropped, Jakob Fulgsang (Astana), the last man to attempt to hold the Spaniard's wheel.  With Spain just a few kilometers down the road, he blew kisses and gestured to the crowds surely filled with many of his fellow countrymen.  Rodriguez has now claimed to stage victories in the 102nd Tour de France and today marked his first long hoped for big mountain stage victory.  He was rewarded for his hard work by taking over the lead in the King of the Mountains competition.  Behind, while Nairo Quintana nor Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) were able to dislodge Chris Froome (Team Sky) from the lead, they were able to move their Movistar team into the lead in the team competition.  Finally, after all of his efforts to solo to a stage victory that came to naught, Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quickstep) will be wearing the red bib number of the day's Most Combative rider tomorrow.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes that came from Jack Richeson & Company (www.richesonart.com), a small mid western family run art supply company with excellent art supplies.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.  Don't delay, it is a one of a kind original painting, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2581416---210122/Painting.html#.VahuEvlViko 

Tour de France, Stage 12: Three Chasing One

Eventually, Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx Quickstep) was able to drop everyone who had tried to hold the World Road Racing Champion's wheel and head up the Plateau du Beille on his own.  Behind him this trio led by Roaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and including Jakob Fulgsang (Astana) and the recovering Romain Bardet (AG2R), hoped to be able to chase back up to the fleeing Polish rider.  On a flat road, three riders working together should always be able to catch a lone man, but on the extend 8% climb of the final climb of the day the advantage of numbers fades away.   It can be stunning just how bad one day can be for someone like Bardet, and then how much better they can feel the following day.  However, in the days of rampant doping in the peloton, it was a little easier to understand how it could happen.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes that came from Jack Richeson & Company (www.richesonart.com), a small mid western family run art supply company with excellent art supplies.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.  Don't delay, it is a one of a kind original painting, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2581406---210122/Painting.html#.VahkUPlViko

Tour de France, Stage 12: Swinging on to the Climb

With this hard right turn, Sep Vanmarcke (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quickstep) start the final (and hardest climb) of the day and of the Pyrennes,  Hundreds of cycling fans braved the hard rain and hail to watch these titans of the peloton assault the Plateau du Beille.  Kwiatkowski and Vanmarcke have left Georg Preidler (Giant Alpecin) behind hoping to claim the stage in a hard 15 kilometers time.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes that came from Jack Richeson & Company (www.richesonart.com), a small mid western family run art supply company with excellent art supplies.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  International shipping is available.  Don't delay, it is a one of a kind original painting, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2581404---210122/Painting.html#.Vahhr_lViko