LBL Femmes, The Chasers

 This group was desperate to chase back the lone Brit, Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) who was a mere 50 seconds up the road.  All of us watching ponder why would they let them go, but all of us who have raced know there is that point when you just don't have the legs to go with the move.  It is a sinking feeling to watch the race go up the road and know you just can't do anything about it.  With the strength of former World Champion, Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv), along with Julietter Labous (Sunweb), Grace Brown (Mitchelton-Scott), Kathrine Aalerud (Movistar) amongst others, should have been able to collaborate in the chase, but each desired the win, thus not wanting to pull the others up to the leader.  As it is said, sometimes you have to be willing to loss to win a race.  However, I think these ladies got the wrong end of that stick.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow th edirect link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since ti is an original work of art, it is a first come first seved reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburth watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2020-Bike-Racing-Revised-Season/3714905-19-280747/Painting/the-chasers-lbl20-2.html

Tour, Stage 9: Thrilled with His Finish

Everyone of these guys can be thrilled with how they finished stage 9 in Laruns.  A very excited Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) was over the moon to take the stage win.  He out sprinted his countryman Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) for the win.  But don't cry for Roglic, the bonus seconds atop the final climb and the additional bonus for his second place finish adds to his lead over the field as he is the next to pull on the Maillot Juane.  Perhaps Marc Hirschi (Sunweb) was less than thrilled, despite a brilliant break away effort, claiming all of the sprint and KOM points on the day, he has to accept his third on the day.  He missed out on stage 2 by about the same distance taking second then.  Egan Bernal (Ineos-Grenadiers) kept his Maillot Blanc and consolidated his position on GC.  And the last guy across the line, Mikel Landa (Bahrain-McLaren) proved he had the legs to be a contender in the Tour as he moved up into tenth overall.

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-2020/3694365-61-282744/Painting/thrilled-by-his-finish-tdf20-56.html

Tour, Stage 2: So Very Close

So very close describes to different aspects of this sprint finish.  One that Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) only beat Marc Hirschi (Sunweb) by not quite a bike length, and two, that the fast closing peloton finished just two seconds behind the gutsy Frenchman.  With the second place bonus seconds atop the final climb, and the eight seconds bonus for the win, Alaphilippe will be the new Maillot Jaune.  The man in second, Hirschi, becomes the new Maillot Blanc, the best place young rider in the Tour.  Just peeking around the shoulder of Hirschi is Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) whose third place and bonus seconds on the stage moved himself in to second place on the General Classification. Yates was the only other rider who was able to go with the two escapees, although he crossed the line on the Promenade des Anglais a second behind the other two, and a second ahead of the Greg Van Avermaet (CCC) led 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.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2020/3687341-18-282744/Painting/so-very-close-tdf20-12.html

La Course, One of These Six?

It was looking like these six had made the move of the day.  They had slipped off the front of the main peloton at the summit of the Cote de Rimiez and pushed their advantage on the rolling climb and following descent back down to Nice.  Anna Hendersen (Sunweb) took a drink as she rolled to the back of the pace line.  Ahead of her were Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), Lotte Kopecky (Lotto Soudal Ladies), Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon SRAM), and Christine Majerus (Boels Dolman). It was Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo Women) that was driving the pace on the highway back into Nice.

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-2020/3686989-7-282744/Painting/one-of-these-six-lc20-2.html

Tour, Stage 1: A Norwegian on the English Promenade

I was truly excited to see Alexander Kristoff (UAE-Team Emirates) take the first stage of the Tour.  Kristoff has been quiet as of late, but today's stage win gives him both the Maillot Jaune of race leader (his first ever) and the Maillot Vert of the best sprinter of the Tour.  On the Norwegian's wheel was the reigning World Champion, Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Cees Pol (Sunweb).  Just behind those three was the new European Champion, Giacomo Nizzolo (NTT Pro Cycling) and just out of frame in fifth is Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe).  Nizzolo is also the Italian National Champion, but the European jersey takes precedent.

So at the end of the first stage it is Kristoff in both the Yellow and Green Jerseys, Mads Pedersen in the White Jersey, and Michael Schar in the Polka Dot Jersey.

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-2020/3683840-5-282744/Painting/a-norwegian-on-the-english-promenade-tdf20-5.html

Paris Nice, Stage 1: Two More Coming

With just four kilometers left to race, Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) looks over his shoulder to see that two more riders have leapt out of the chasing group in an attempt to bridge across to him and Tiesj Benoot (Sunweb).  Leading the charge is the German National Champion, Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) with Dylan Teuns (Bahrain McLaren) glued to his wheel.  It will vastly increase the chances of staying off the front to the line, but now one of the four will not be on the podium for the stage.  Conversely, one of the four will be pulling on the Yellow Jersey of race leader in four kilometers' time.

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/Paris-Nice/3487782-4-272742/Painting/two-more-coming-pn20-4.html

Paris Nice, Stage 1: Do You Have the Legs?

Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Tiesj Benoot (Sunweb) had sprinted it out for the bonus seconds of the first intermediate sprint.  While Alaphilippe had won the sprint, the pair found themselves with a small gap over the other fourteen from the leading group.  The Frenchman convinced Benoot to continue the effort with just 26 kilometers left to race back to Plaiser.  They had opened up thirty seconds on those behind.  A move akin to what but Alaphilippe into Yellow in the 2019 Tour de France.  Will it work again?

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/Paris-Nice/3487779-3-272742/Painting/do-you-have-the-legs-pn20-3.html

Tour Down Under, Stage 1: Taking the Lead in the Dance

It was Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quickstep) that struck first in the Tour Down Under.  Viviani's sprint was something to behold, threating the needle between competitors and the barrier to fly past Maximilian Richard Walscheid (Sunweb).  Walscheid may have gone too early into the wind, while it seemed like Viviani had left it too late.  Before the race, the Italian Champion had said he hoped to start the teams season with a win, just as they had in 2018.  Last year the then Quickstep team went on to dominate the Grand Tour sprints, and just about every other Pro Tour sprint.  Rounding out the podium was Jakub Marecko (CCC) claiming the first podium pedestal step for the new CCC Team.

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/3284051-121-194179/PaintingTaking-the-Lead-in-the-Dance--TDU19-3.html