Giro, Stage 16: Like a Stone

Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) is a brilliant descender and used his skill on the final descent of the day.  He was able to bridge across to Mikel Landa (Sky) on the technical drop down from the Umbrail Pass of the Stelvio.  The pair were able to hold off the chasing Nairo Quintana (Movistar) as they sprialed down to Bormio.  All three were hoping they would be moving up the leader board given the problems plaquing the Maglia Rosa and some of the others furthe up the pass.

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.

With the racing of the 100th Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in helping this book get made, please consider backing the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/art-of-cycling-100th-giro-ditalia.  This will be just one of the hundred plus paintings that will be included. With Kickstarter, if there is not a 100% funded, no one is charged a dime, and the project recieves 0% funding.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2971157-109-235247/PaintingLike-a-Stone-G17-117.html

Giro, Stage 16: Coming Back

After he took care of business on the side of the road, Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) got back on the road, and onto the climb.  On the way up the Stelvio via the Umbrail Pass, Dumoulin gained time on those behind him on the general classification.  He also got an anchor in the form of Gorka Izaguirre (Movistar).  Izaguirre knew that Dumoulin had to ride hard to pull back the time he lost on the side of the road, plus he could radio his team to let him know how the Maglia Rosa's progress was going in hopes that his team leader could use the information to his advantage.

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.

With the racing of the 100th Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in helping this book get made, please consider backing the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/art-of-cycling-100th-giro-ditalia.  This will be just one of the hundred plus paintings that will be included. With Kickstarter, if there is not a 100% funded, no one is charged a dime, and the project recieves 0% funding.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2971137-107-235247/PaintingComing-Back-G17-115.html

Giro, Stage 16: Leading Them Down

The trip down the back side of the Passo del Stelvio was a fast as it was slow on the way up.  It could be argued that the hairpin turns are just as difficult going up as they are going down as well.  The main difference is that if you blow it on the way down you can get very seriously hurt. Andrey Amador (Movistar) was the first one down the backside of the mountain, braking hard into the turns and then sprinting back out the other side.

The cycling fan (and cyclist) photographing on the inside of the corner will need a very fast shutter speed to capture anything other than a blur of color given the speed of the peloton's descent.

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.

With the racing of the 100th Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in helping this book get made, please consider backing the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/art-of-cycling-100th-giro-ditalia.  This will be just one of the hundred plus paintings that will be included. With Kickstarter, if there is not a 100% funded, no one is charged a dime, and the project recieves 0% funding.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2970923-103-235247/PaintingLeading-Them-Down-G17-111.html

Giro, Stage 16: The Top of the Giro

Not only was it a hard day of climbing right after the rest day, the first climb up the Stelvio took the race to the highest point of the 100th Giro d'Italia.  The riders were blessed with a clear, sunny day, but that still left the tempatures low and the snow banks intact.  As Mikel Landa (Sky) cleared the summit of the pass, he zipped up his jacket that had been passed to him moments before.  With the cold air and the incredibly high speed descent, he wanted to keep from getting a chill.  So much of a successful Grand Tour is about keeping yourself healthy and minimizing risk.

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.

With the racing of the 100th Giro d'Italia, I am crowd funding my third cycling art book through Kickstarter.  I could use your support in helping this book get made, please consider backing the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/art-of-cycling-100th-giro-ditalia.  This will be just one of the hundred plus paintings that will be included. With Kickstarter, if there is not a 100% funded, no one is charged a dime, and the project recieves 0% funding.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/100th-Giro-dItalia/2970919-102-235247/PaintingThe-Top-of-the-Giro-G17-110.html

Giro d'Italia Stage 16: Zipping Up

Most teams thinking that the descent has been neutralized, stop after crossing the summit to add more layers of warmer, dryer clothing.  Figuring that the time it took didn't matter, many let their soigneurs wrap them up, tuck in their scarves in, and zip up their jackets.  Notice that it is a fan along the side of the barriers who is holding Alexandre Geniez's (FDJ) bike while he dresses for the descent.  Of course with these weather conditions, hyperthermia was a very real possibility, and a little lost time was far better than a trip to the hospital and then home.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  While you are there, why not take the time to browse around at all of the cycling art on offer?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2370850---198213/Painting.html#.U4UrnM_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 16: Slipping Away in the Snow

Dario Cataldo (Team Sky) and a few others were finally allowed to slip off of the front of the peloton, Cataldo took full advantage.  With the rain having changed over to snow, not many were happy in the race and concern started growing about the safety of the descent down the back side of the Stelvio.  At one point, I received a tweet that the race organizers had decided to neutralize the drop down the other side.  The idea being that the times of each rider would be taken at the summit, this would allow the riders to take there time going down, hopefully staying safe on the icy twisting hairpins down to the valley floor.  At the bottom, the peloton would stop, starting back off in the time order that was established at the summit.  Confusion reigned as it became apparent that the decision to neutralize had been rescinded.  As of this writing, I don't know the results of the arguments that were sure to follow.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting, please follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2370802---198213/Painting.html#.U4Uovs_D_IU