Tour Stage Twenty: Going It Alone

Listening to Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen talk about Jens Voigt is so fun and amazing.  They have been talking about winning solo breakaways by Voigt in the Tour in 1998, they credit someone with calling him the "Peter Pan of the Peloton", and they are obviously very impressed with this veteran of the Tour.  Today, he was off in search of another victory to add to his palmers.  He was able to hold off the competitive peloton and his aggrieved break away companions over the penultimate alpine climb of the 100th Tour de France.  It was a great spectacle to watch and to paint.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available in a short 3 day auction on ebay.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

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Tour Stage Twenty: In Search of Points

At the start of the day Pierre Rolland was in third place for the King of the Mountains Jersey even though he had it on his back for today's stage. " Why?", I hear you asking, the two ahead of him are Chris Froome, who is busy wearing Yellow and Nairo Quintana currently bedecked in White.  Since you really can't wear to jersey at once, the Polka Dot Jersey feel to Rolland who, again, was riding in third place on points.  Having worn the Jersey earlier in the Tour, he said out today to make it rightfully his, escorted by Jens Voigt, Burghardt and Flecha in the first break up the road.   His number is printed on a red field as the most combative rider from the previous stage.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that has been created using cake watercolors, brushes and paper from www.richesonart.com    In addition, this painting is available for purchase at my artist website, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2183689---186227/Painting.html#.UfCOc8vD_IU

Tour Stage Nineteen: Attacking Each Other

Once the large break got to the bottom of the final climb, they knew the peloton wasn't coming back to them.  With that kernel of knowledge it was time to get rid of the passengers and try to ride away from everyone else.  Nieve is swinging from one side of the road to the other trying to shake the three that have come with him on the opening salvo.  Bakelants, Navarro  were stuck to him having no intention of letting him run away with the stage.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2183669---186227/Painting.html#.UfCGJM_D_IU

Tour Stage Eighteen: Up to Six Minutes

The peloton seemed to be afraid of Alpe d'Huez or at least climbing it twice, so were not worried about a break where the highest placed rider, Sylvain Chavanel was over 25 minutes behind the Yellow Jersey.  Many of the break away artists had counted on the peloton's sentiment and were ready to go out on the attack.  The group quickly got up to six minutes on the way up the Col d'Ornon ahead of the big beast of the day.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that can be yours by visiting my artist website to buy this painting.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2183281---186227/Painting.html#.Ue_pE8vD_IU

Tour Stage Sixteen: Musettes for All

A Musette is basically a feed bag, you know, like oats for a horse, that are passed out to the riders as they zoom past a designated area on the course.  The challenge is to find your team helper and then grab the back without snagging them, the other riders or yourself.  Then still at speed you need to pick out what you want, load it into your jersey pockets (or mouth) and then toss the bag to some souvenirseeking cycling fan along the side of the road.   Then it is back to racing full on.  Cyclist will consume upwards of 6,000 calories during the race, so staying fed is a very important challenge.   This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of art of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2183149---186227/Painting.html#.Ue8-VM_D_IU

Tour Stage Sixteen: Want to Go?

There was time to chat in the break with one topic being when are we going to get rid of everyone else.  Hoogerland seems to be asking Andreas Kloden and Navardauskas if they want to go for the attack now or wait for the final climb.  Hoogerland had the opportunity to show off his Netherland's Championship jersey for a long time with his break away companions.  The decision apparently made to wait for the Col du Manse, partly because it was a dive from the top to the finishing line.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of art of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2182977---186227/Painting.html#.Ue7aL8_D_IU

Tour Stage Fifteen: Do What You Can

Another team strategy is to use the guys that get into the break to help out the chasers late in the stage.  Marel Irizar had spent the whole day out in the break on the longest stage of the 100th Tour de France, 245 kilometers in total, with roughly 15 K to go, he started falling back as his teammate, Jan Bakelants was going forward.  You can tell the Jan is asking him to put in as much effort as he can before he simply can't ride any more.  It is impressive how much each member of the team is willing to do to help their teammates.  Bakelants, who grabbed yellow just ahead of the charging sprinters way back in Corsica, revealed that he has some climbing legs and some guts in this Tour.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard and it is available for purchase at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2182603---186227/Painting.html#.Ue3rBM_D_IU

Tour Stage Fourteen: Whatever They Have Left

They break finally caught up with Julien Simon (he is the fourth rider in this painting) under the shadow of the red kite, they were digging deep into whatever energy they had left.  Bakelants has his head down trying to repeat the feat that placed him in the Malliot Jaune in the early stages of the 100th Tour de France.  Everyone here is on the rivot trying to pull out a stage win for all of their efforts in the long, long breakaway.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your very own artistic piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2182585---186227/Painting.html#.Ue3dkM_D_IU

Tour Stage Fourteen: They're Not Coming Back

Behind the break, Euskatdel-Euskadi had given up trying to get someone into the break and Team Sky came to the front of the peloton and actually slowed the group down.  Once that had happened the split quickly went up to 6 minutes and everyone knew that the break wasn't going to be coming back into the fold.  The break is just getting confirmation of the growing split from the yellow clad carriers of the timer's chalkboard.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that can be yours through my artist website, where you can purchase this one of a kind piece of art.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2182551---186227/Painting.html#.Ue3HY8_D_IU

Tour Stage Seven: Three Away Today

Once Team Cannondale and Sagan had played out their attack and had the Green Jersey points at the intermediate sprint the peloton backed off to a less manic pace, and when the peloton slows you can count on someone jumping out on an attack.  The surprise was the first attack was from Jan Bakelants hoping to repeat his amazingly successful attack in Corsica when he just held off the charging sprinters and donned the Malliot Jaune for two days.  Gautier of Europcar and another rider from Euskadtel-Euskadei (sorry I never did get his name) bridged across to see if their could win the stage.  Unfortunately for them, Bakelants was only 33 seconds down on the overall and Impey and Orica-GreenEdge were in no mood to give up the Jersey.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2178361---186227/Painting.html#.UeIY-MvD_IU