Vuelta, Stage 18: Opening a Gap

It is interesting to hear the commentators talking about what racers should or shouldn't do as the race is unfolding.  Or how such and such rider will have no chance against another if they come to the line together.  Today, they got it wrong as Sander Armee (Lotto Soudal) was able to ride everyone off of his wheel, when they thought that either Julain Alaphilippe (Quickstep) or Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) would have the better of the Belgian on the final ascent.  Armee has not yet been offered a contract for the 2018 season, I suspect that today's Grand Tour stage win will change that fact rather quickly.  And he can now claim to have won a race or a stage in a Grand Tour.  Today was his first ever!

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-2017/3030464-43-239162/PaintingOpening-a-Gap-V-44.html

Vuelta, Stage 15: Whatever You Need

It was Sander Armee (Lotto Soudal) who dropped the rest of his break away companions on the first climb of the day.  He has been off the front before in this Vuelta, so he was hoping this would be the one that paid off at the end of the day.

The title refers to the all important well stocked team car that will aide their racers along the course.  The driver, usually the Director Sportif, has the knowledge and the plan, then their is a mechanic to handle all of the issues that might arise with the bikes.  And then someone to pass out food, bottles, ice backs, literally anything guys like Armee might need.

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-2017/3026992-26-239162/PaintingWhatever-You-Need-V-27.html

Vuelta, Stage 15: Finally Established

Today was a short stage (160K) with three steep, steep climbs at the end of the journey, so it was going to be hard and fast.  The first hour covered over 50 kilometers as group after group tried to get into the break away of the day.  Finally after 40 kilometers of racing it was this group of eight that made the break stick.  It helped that the best place rider was over 45 minutes behind the race leader.  Some of those in the break included Lluis Mas (Caja Rural-Seguros), Anthony Perez (Cofidis), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Matteo Trentin (Quickstep), and Sander Armee (Lotto Soudal).  Trentin was able to take advantage of one of the few early intermediate sprints to add to his point tally in the sprint competition.  Despite how well he has been climbing, there was no chance he would be there at the final summit 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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3026987-25-239162/PaintingFinally-Established-V-26.html

Vuelta, Stage 11: Wet and Cold

Up until today, the weather story of the Vuelta has been how hot it was (not that heat is big news for the summer in Spain).  But today the peloton, and this breakaway, faced bitter cold and trenching rains.  A large group got away on the flats before the two steep climbs that marked the end of the day.  Some of those that you can see in this painting are, Sander Armee (Lotto Soudal), Antonio Pedrero (Movistar), Matej Mohoric (UAE-Emirates), Lennard Hofstede (Sun Web) and in the back ground passing of his soaked raincoat, Giovanni Visconte (Bahrain-Merida).  It was going to be a hard day in the cold that many would have trouble adjusting to after so many hot, hot days.

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-2017/3023708-5-239162/PaintingWet-and-Cold-V-6.html

Giro d'Italia Stage 2: Sprinting for Points

Stage two of the Giro d'Italia included the first chance for the racers to claim points in the King of the Mountain Competition with this relatively small climb up Cushendall Road along the northern coast of Northern Ireland, not far from the Bushmill's distillery.  With just a few points on offer from the Category 4 climb the four riders of the early break went into an all out sprint to get points for the first three across the line.  It was Maarten Tjallingii (Belkin Pro Cycling) that nip Andrea Fedi (Neri Sotolo) at the line for maximum points with Jeffry Johan Romero (Team Colombia) and Sander Arme (Lotto-Belisol) completing the make up of the four man break away.  These riders built up a lead of five and a half minutes before the team of the Pink Jersey and the sprinters' teams started the long sure chase.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com,  Also, this (and all of my cycling paintings) is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com  Or you could follow the direct link at the end of this post for this particular painting.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2361967---198213/Painting.html#.U26hDc_D_IU