Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 4: A Swift Swiss

It was the Swiss Champion Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula) who jumped out of the breakaway to claim the first intermediate sprint in Snapper Point.  William Junior Lecerf (Soudal-Quick Step) gave the champion a run for his money, but in the end wasn't able to come around Schmid.  After the sprint, the break rejoined and got on with their likely vain effort to win the stage.

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.

"A Swift Swiss TDU25-32" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Down Under, Final Stage: Under Control

On the second lap before heading up the famed Willunga Hill, the peloton had the break away under control.  The escapees may be three minutes ahead at this point, but the best place rider was over six minutes down on the general classification.  Kiel Reijnen (Trek-Segafredo) led the effort to keep the break in check with Astana, Team Sky and EF Education First all contributing to the chase. 

I hope they had a chance to take in the beautiful seas off to their left.

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-Down-Under/3286981-140-194179/PaintingUnder-Control--TDU19-22.html

Tour Down Under, Final Stage: Down the Shore

I heard this New Jersey expression the other day.  Going down the shore is what I would call going to the beach.  It seemed like the perfect title for this group turning the corner to run along the coast on their way to Snapper Point.  With an almost sure bet that today would be about the climbers, it didn't stop these seven from going on the offensive from the very start of the stage.  The only one with a chance of winning on the day was Danny Van Poppel (Jumbo-Visma).  He is wearing the blue sprinter's points jersey on load from the race leader but if he takes the sprint points on offer he would still need to score points atop Willunga Hill.  Joining the Dutchman are Jasha Sutterlin (Movistar), Nick White (UniSA-Australia), Gediminas Bagdonas (Ag2r La Mondiale) among others.

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-Down-Under/3286976-139-194179/PaintingDown-the-Shore--TDU19-21.html

Tour Down Under, Stage 5: After the Fall

A brief lapse of concentration sent Nuno Mates (Movistar) crashing to the ground as he road on the front of the small break away group.  He was riding along the beach, so perhaps the scenery (or bathing suit clad woman) distracted him as he went around a corner.  Unlike most any other sport, there is no time out, or injury delay in cycling.  If he wanted to continue his Tour, he was going to have to get back up and manage the best he could despite the obvious cuts to his elbows and rear end.  But get up he did.  He was tended to by first his team car (here) and then the race medical team (while riding along at 40 kilometers an hour), all while joining back up with his erstwhile break away companions.  We shall see if he is able to continue with the last stage in Adelaide tomorrow.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. To purchase this artwork, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3099762-110-194179/PaintingAfter-the-Fall-TDU18-23.html

Tour Down Under, Stage 5: A Ride at the Beach

After the heat of the last two days, the riders must have felt like today's stage was a ride in the park.  Today it did feature a short ride at the beach along Snapper Point.  It was a big group that got away at the start of the stage, including some now familiar break away names.  Riding on the back is the most aggressive rider from stage 4, Zakkari Dempster (UniSA-Australia), with his teammate, Scott Boweden - his third break away of the Tour.  The new guys to join the group off the front were Fumijuki Beppu (Trek-Segafredo), Mads Wuirtz Schmidt (Katusha-Alpecin) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal).  The seventh member of the break, although you can't really see him, is the leader of the King of the Mountains Competition, Nicholas Dlamini (Dimension Data).

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. To purchase this artwork, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-Down-Under/3099760-109-194179/PaintingA-Ride-at-the-Beach-TDU18-22.html

Tour Down Under Stage 5: Down by the Shore

This stage always offers quite a bit of variety in scenery for the riders to work too hard to see  The route takes the peloton through the vineyards of Snapper Point out to the coast and then up one of the longest climbs near Adelaide  As the four man break swings down along the coastal road the helicopter was showing shots of a large pod of dolphins playing in the bright blue waters of the Southern Ocean  Jack Bauer (Quickstep) is sporting the red bib numbers of the most competitive rider from his efforts in yesterday's stage.  He was given the honor again today for this effort  He is being lead along the coast by Jeremy Maison (FDJ) - just out of frame - Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) and Will Clarke (Cannondale-Drapac)  I wonder if a dip in the cool waters crossed any of their minds

Sorry that my computer is back to thinking punctuation is unimportant

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/Tour%20Down%20Under/2908161-122-194179/PaintingDown%20by%20the%20Shore%20TDU17-24.html#.WIOZovkrLIU

Tour Down Under: Quite the View

The penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under takes in quite a variety of the South Australian landscape.  As I am writing this it is snowing heavily here in Richmond, VA, so this view of the shimmering waters of the South Australian sea is quite the treat.  For the escape group, they had little time to take in the scenery as they continued to work together to build up to an over six minute lead on the apparently disinterested peloton.  Or the peloton was just waiting for the effort of two climbs of Willunga Hill, the summit of the final climb marks the finish line of the stage.  It almost looks as though the foursome of Lars Boom (Astana), Nelson Oliverira (Movistar), Reinhardt Janse Van Rensburg (Team Dimension Data), and Pim Ligthart (Lotto Soudal) were intentionally looking away from the inviting coast.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting created using watercolors from www.richesonart.com and is 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.  In addition, be sure to check out my new book, "Art of Cycling: Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships" available now at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20Down%20Under/2681934-88-194179/Painting.html#.VqP1bvkrLIU