Tour, Stage 8: Surrounded by the Team

It seems that Thibaud Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) was harmed more in the crash in the first stage of the Tour than he let on (or at least that the team let on).  Pinot has been regularly plaqued by bad luck in the Tour, leaving last year during stage 19.  He started trying to stretch out his back on the climb up the Port de Bales and dropped of the pace.  His teammate, William Bonnet, had already climb of a few kilometers earlier.  He was surrounded by his teammates that included, Sebstien Reichenbach, Rudy Molard and Stefan Kung, all of whom willingly sacrified their standing on the GC to try and nurse Pinot over this and the following climb in hopes that he would recover on the road.  Instead, he came in over nineteen minutes behind the main contenders, thus kissing his Tour victory good bye.  With respect, it must be said that as I am writing this (about seven hours after the stage was completed) Pinot has not left the Tour.  But with another tough day of climbing in the Pyrenees tomorrow I doubt he will be back after the rest day on Monday.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2020/3693080-49-282744/Painting/surrounded-by-the-team-tdf20-44.html

Tour, Stage 6: Hand Sling

Pulling a page from the track cycling handbook, Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) reached back to give a hand sling to the Swiss Champion, Sebastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ).  Since Sanchez was dropping off of the peloton on the way up the Col des Croix, he thought he would literally give a hand to Reichenbach's attempts to rejoin those up the road.  It is exceptable for riders to aid each other this way, put not a team car or a teammate giving a sustained push up the climb.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

Be sure to check out my daily videos on You Tube

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202019/3358787-29-263530/Hand%20Sling%20%20TDF19-29.html

Giro, Stage 20: Cooked

All of the effort, all of the kilometers, all of the climbs, and all of the attacking yesterday seemed to have finally caught up with Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ).  On the way up the Col Saint Pantaleon the Frenchman seemed to hit a wall.  He was cooked.  One of his teammates got him a bottle from the team car, passed it over, Pinot simply passed it back to the car.  He knew his Giro had ended and he wasn't going to be on the podium after all.  He was escorted through the rest of the stage by Sebastien Reichenbach, Jeremy Roy and Steve Morabito.  Pinot had fought hard for the complete race but sometimes the body says enough is enough.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/101st-Giro-dItalia/3169671-87-249297/PaintingCooked--G18-91.html

Giro, Stage 19: Losing Time

I admit that I am a little suspect of Chris Froome's (Sky) solo escape to take the Maglia Rosa today.  I can remember when Floyd Landis did much the same way back in the early 2000's in the Tour de France.  He went on to win that race only to have the title stripped due to doping.  I pray that is not why this group of Richard Carapaz (Movistar), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) Segastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ) and Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) couldn't chase down the lone figure of Froome.  Strength in numbers should have played to their favor, that an a desire for Dumoulin to be the one in pink (as he was way back at the start of this Giro).  Others had a little less to ride for, but just barely.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/101st-Giro-dItalia/3169150-81-249297/PaintingLosing-Time-G18-86.html

Giro, Stage 6: Cold Drinks, Here!

Think ball park, or football stadium, and the vendors yelling, "Cold beer, here!"   With just under twenty kilometers left to race, the team soigneurs lined out along a straight stretch of road for the riders to take one last bottle for the climb.  Leading the peloton are Jack Haig and Jhoan Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) followed closely by Sebastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ).  Clearly it was a BMC soigneur looking to pass to his man in the leading group Alessandro De Marchi.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/101st-Giro-dItalia/3161014-26-249297/PaintingCold-Drinks,-Here!--G18-26.html

Tour, Stage 7: Can't Get Around

Some days the peloton just can't catch a break.  While all of the GC riders were losing time against the Maillot Jaune of Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), they were stopped abruptly by a collapsing inflatable arch that held the red kite of one kilometer to go.  Apparently the arch fell onto Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) who was the only one to be hurt by the cave in.  The rest of the peloton was stopped in the road, as officials tried to hold the red and white striped balloon aloft.  Some riders attempted to climb over, others to go beneath, but all were granted the same time on the stage since it obviously occurred within the final three kilometers of the stage.  This rule does not apply on a mountain stage, so they can be thankful there was seven kilometers more of the stage after the summit of the Col d'Aspin. A few of those caught behind the traffic jam were Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Katusha), Sebastian Reichenbach (FDJ) and Stef Clement (IAM Cycling).

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.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  While you are on the site, be sure to check out my other works of art and my two cycling books.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Bear in mind that this is a one of a kind original and once it is gone, it is gone.

To buy this painting follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2821042-48-224974/PaintingCan't%20Get%20Around%20TdF48-Greig-Leach.html#.V4AS7LgrLIU