Tour '26, Stage 5: Going It Alone

I am quite sure Baptiste Veistoffer (Lotto-Intermarche) had hoped someone would come with him when he jumped out of the peloton at kilometer Zero.  Alas, no one did.  He had no real option but to press on after no one bridge up to him.  He has gone on a solo attack for a complete stage, and won, in a race before.  But this is the Tour de France and this stage was one for the sprinters.  I doubt they will let him pull that off today.  Spoiler: They didn't.  He was caught with about seventeen kilometers left to race, meaning he had ridden on his own for roughly a hundred miles.  Chapeau!

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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Going It Alone TdF26-31" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour '24, Stage 10: Are We Doing This?

It looked like this trio were joking about pretending that they were going to attack the slow-moving peloton.  The day started without a breakaway on a clear flat sprint stage and no one seemed eager to take on the sprinters' teams in a vain effort to ride off the front.  There was a relaxed and playful mood most of the day that generated this feint attack.  However, when Kobe Goossens (Intermache-Wanty) along with the teammates Maxim Van Gils (Lotto-Dstny) and Brent Van Moer realized they had a gap, they decided they might as well see just how much rope the peloton would give them.  You might notice that one of the Lidl-Trek men is on his radio asking the team car what they should do about this move.  With 140 kilometers to go, this was most likely the joke that it started out to be.

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. 

"Are We Doing This? TdF24-52" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '22, Stage 19: Won for France

I meant to use 'won" and not 'one' in the title.  I do love a play on words.  Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma), who is French, jumped out of the sprint trains and went off ahead of the peloton with just meters to go.  He first got onto the wheels of the remnants of the late break but then started his sprint as the lead out men behind wound it up for their sprinters.  Laporte had been leading out his team's sprinter Wout Van Aert on nearly every stage in both the intermediate sprints and in the finales that the two were there to contest.  With this win, the French finally have a win by one of their countrymen and Laporte got his chance to win a stage.  Plus I think this means the sixth win for Jumbo-Visma.  Plus the team has three of the four leaders' jerseys.  Clearly they are the dominate team despite Ineos-Grenadiers leading in the team competition by over a half hour.  In the background you can see Jasper Philipsen (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl) who will have to settle for being the best of the rest in Cahors.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3895303-126-294403/Painting/won-for-france-tdf22-127.html

Tour, Stage 11: Finally!

Finally, had to be the feeling amongst Lotto Soudal.  The team has been striving to get their sprinter, Caleb Ewan across the line first for the first ten stages of the Tour (they have won a stage with another rider).  Today, he managed to just nip Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) at the line in Toulouse.  Ewan's win makes him the eleventh different stage winner in eleven stages.  The last time that happened was 1995.  Behind it was Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick Step), Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) chased by the entire rest of the peloton.

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.  If you enjoy what you see on the channel, please subscribe.  I need to get over a hundred subscribers so I can name the channel, "Art of Cycling"

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202019/3361329-60-263530/Finally!%20%20TDF19-60.html

Tour Stage Ten: Long Flat Roads

With the beautiful flat farmlands of the Brittany the Tour almost had a second rest day after the battles in the Pyrenees, today there was hardly a bump in the road.  With a day for the sprinters on tap Team Sky had an easy ride behind the sprinters' teams who spent their time chasing down the break away and then lining up their trains to take the stage.  I am trying to keep from focusing exclusively on the images of racing and to include some of the breath taking scenery that the Tour passes through.  Most of the scenic views are shot from one of the multiple camera equipped helicopters that hover over every stage of the race.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that can be yours by going to a quick three day auction on ebay.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your part of the 100th Tour de France.

This work has sold.