Tour '26, Stage 20: This Is Mine

It took getting over the HC climb of the Col de Croix de Fer and then chasing down the breakaway, but Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was there to sprint for maximum points at the intermediate sprint in Saint Julien Mont Denis.  As he wound up his sprint he looked back at Tobias Johannessen (Uno X-Mobility) as if daring him to dare to steal a single point from him.  With this sprint, he sealed up the race for the Maillot Vert.  All he need do is finish this stage and the final stage in Paris and he will have one the sprinter's jersey in all three Grand Tours.  On Johannessen's wheel are Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) and his teammate Bruno Armirail clearly having a plan for the day.  Another in this leading group was Thymen Arensman (Netcompany-Ineos) hoping to have an even better stage than yesterday.  Today is the true final stage of the Tour, although the new circuit in Paris does mean there will be more than just a sprint on the Champs Elysees.

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: "This Is Mine TdF26-144" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '26, Stage 19: Starting Alpe d'Huez

This quartet that was led first by Thymen Arensman (Netcompany-Ineos) and followed by Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious), Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) with just over three minutes over the group that included the Maillot Jaune.  They were looking at a climb of twelve kilometers they all were hoping that it was enough of a gap to be the ones to vie for the stage win at the summit of the fabled climb of the Alpe d'Huez.  Carapaz was hoping to follow his stage victory with a second in a row.  He also knows that he has the chance to hold the Maillot a Pois outright should he finish the stage in the top three.  And that is true even should Tadej Pogacar be able to chase them down and win the stage.  The crowds at the base of the climb were but a taste of the multitudes awaiting every single rider to scale the Alpe.

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: "Starting Alpe d'Huez TdF26-138" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist →   

Tour '26, Stage 14: Coming Across

Thymen Arensman (Netcompany-Ineos) had the misfortune of having a flat tire on the previous climb.  The guy he was with has now joined the leaders of the stage, but he is continuing to try and chase back on.  At this point he is still twenty-four seconds behind them.  As he continues to climb the Col du Page he still has two-and-a-half minutes on the peloton containing all of the leaders' jerseys including the Green Jersey of the sprinters.  But then, that is on the shoulders of Mads Pedersen who is a decent climber for a sprinter.  Sadly, Arensman never made it back to the breakaway.  Under the advice of his director sportif, he sat up and joined back up with the peloton further up the Col du Page.

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: "Coming Across TdF26-96" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

Learn More About the Artist →    

Tour '25, Stage 19: An Unbelievable Finish

For the second time in this Tour de France, Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers) covered his face in disbelief as he won a mountain top finish in the rain.  He did it in the Pyrenees with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) chasing him all of the way up the climb.  The first time he had been in the early breakaway and just manage to be the last member of the early break that wasn't caught by the Tadej.  Today, he actually attacked the group with the yellow jersey on the way up the final climb.  When he went, Tadej and Jonas looked at each other and neither went after the tall Dutchman.  Behind him, almost catching him in the last fifty meters, was Vingegaard just getting the better of Pogacar.  Just in the distance you can see the white jersey of Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) who lost the leading two in the last kilometer of the stage.  Those three represent the top three of this Tour.  Most likely the podium is now set.  Likewise, the jersey seemed to be set, too.  Pogacar has both Yellow and Polka Dots.  Lipowitz has the White, and way, way, way down the mountain Jonathan Milan has the Green Jersey.  The mountains are now done, and there are just two more stages to race including Paris.  

Tomorrow starts the Tour de France Femmes and I will be painting them every stage, every day, too.

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. 

"An Unbelievable Finish TdF25-102" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '25, Stage 18: Back Up to the Leaders

As the breakaway hit the base of the Col du Madeleine Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) went off the front of the breakaway.  While they had dropped the others with another seventeen kilometers to climb, they managed to come back led by Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-Ag2r-La Mondiale) leading his team leader Felix Gall.  Behind them is a resurgent Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).  I honestly can't remember who else was in the group but they all had a bit over three minutes on the Yellow Jersey Group.

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.  

"Back Up to the Leaders TdF25-119" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '25, Stage 16: Starting Ventoux with 6 Minutes

This quartet hit the start of the only climb of the day, Mont Ventoux, with six minutes on the peloton containing the Yellow Jersey.  They were being led up to the official start of the climb (they have been climbing for a while now) by Thyme Aremsman (Ineos-Grenadiers).  The Dutchman was followed in turn by Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling), Enric Mas (Movistar), and Simone Velasco (XDS-Astana).  The group will be cheered all of the way up by the tens of thousands of fans lining virtually every meter of the climb.  While they have six minutes over the peloton the bulk of the remainder of the large early breakaway is now climbing behind them in multiple groups ahead of the Maillot Jaune.

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.

"Starting Ventoux with 6 Minutes TdF25-105" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '25, Stage 14: It Took Everything

I admit that I get a bit tired of the arms spread wide as the solo stage winner performs for the hundreds of press photographers snapping away across the finishing line.  After Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers) had done the required pose, he dropped his head down, tucked in his elbows and shortly here after collapsed to the roadway.  The Dutchman went away on the previous climb and held off the best climbers in the world to claim his first Tour de France stage victory!  He also gave his team (that use to dominate the Tour de France) its first stage win in two years.  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.

"It Took Everything TdF24-94" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '25, Stage 14: Not Pleased!

I am not sure what Tobias Halland Johannesen (Uno X-Mobility) did to so piss off Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers), but Arensman had quite a lot to say to the Norwegian.  Behind the two combatants, Lenny Martinez just got on with trying to gain as many King of the Mountains points as he could.  Perhaps Johannesen should have provoked the Belgium.  Just after I painted this, Arensman attacked, and neither of his current companions ever saw him again.  Martinez went over the Peyresourde second thus locking up his reclamations of his Maillot a Pois for at least one more day.

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.

"Not Pleased! TdF25-91" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Nice '25, Stage 3: Finishing Alone

New rules and timing methods mean that the time for the team in the Team Time Trial is taken when the first rider crosses the line.  However, each individual rider is given his actual time on the day, not the time of the first of his team.  That may be why Tobias Foss (Ineos-Grenadiers) went off alone leaving his last two teammates, Magnus Sheffield and Thymen Arensman being in the closing meters.  Sheffield had started the day confident that he could regain the Maillot Blanc of best young rider and even hoped to become the next Maillot Jaune.  Instead, the team's performance saw him dropping a place in the young riders' competition and dropping to tenth in the general classification thirty-eight seconds off of the pace of the new race leader.  His team leader, Thymen Arensman is another two seconds behind that.

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.

"Finishing Alone PN25-9" (Original art by Greig Leach)