Tour Femmes '26, Stage 8: Misfortune

While Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD) and Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek) were still holding onto an advantage that might make it to Nice ahead of the peloton, the penultimate descent of the day proved her undoing.  She over cooked a corner losing her front wheel and found herself sliding across the corner on her chest.  I am always surprised that riders opt to not wear gloves and I believe that decision may have been what made her unable to hold the bars once she got back on her bike.  After the initial fall, the adrenaline rush, the pain began to set in.  It was painful to just watch as she cried out in pain while being tended to by the medic on the back of the motorcycle.  It was painful enough that she cried out that she had had enough and swung away from the moto.  It appeared she was done for the day and the Tour, but no, she was just done with the stinging anticeptic.  She did finish the day about four minutes behind the peloton.  Hopefully, she will be able to start the final day of the Tour - and finish it.

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: "Misfortune TdFF26-51" (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

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Tour Femmes '26, Stage 8: Flying Over the Col

It was quite the costume that greeted the breakaway over the top of the Col de Toutes Aures.  I guess he is supposed to be an angel and antecedent to the Devil we are used to see along the mountain roads in the Alps.  Regardless, he was cheering the breakaway of Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD) and Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek).  As they went over the summit that had built up a little over six minutes lead over the peloton. Would it be enough to hold off a peloton that is riding for their sprinters despite the couple of short climbs that face them as the ride into Nice.

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: "Flying Over the Col TdFF26-48" (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 Femmes '26, Stage 7: Joining Forces

With three more kilometers to climb, this the third group on the road that included Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L'IMAD) and her teammate Paula Blasi, Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) and Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon/SRAM) have just about caught the two chasers up the road.  Their quarry, Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) and the Maillot Jaune Marlen Reusser (Movistar) were losing time to the lone leader now a further kilometer up the road.  Blasi and Niedermaier were also competing for the Maillot Blanc of the best young rider currently on Niedermaier shoulders.  The two came to the summit together leaving the jersey where it was.

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: "Joining Forces TdFF26-46" (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 Femmes '26, Stage 6: Stripes and Polka Dots

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist the title.  As they neared the base of the final climb of the day, the Cote de Bouciou le Roi it was the Maillot a Pois accompanied by both the French and Italian National Champions.  I loved the symmetry of seeing the two tricolores of Celia Gery (FDJ United-Suez) and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L'IMAD) joining up with the polka dots of the Queen of the Mountains, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech).  The trio had a couple of other women with them a good thirteen seconds ahead of what was left of the peloton containing the race leaders.  The champions were after the stage victory, whereas Pieterse was after the last QOM points on the final climg of the day.  At this point, they were happy to work together to achieve different goals.

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: "Stripes and Polka Dots TdFF26-37" (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 Femmes '26, Stage 5: Looking to Help

After spending the whole stage in the front group, Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD) was called back to help her team leaders, one in the Maillot Blanc, to get back up to the front group.  Both Paula Blasi and Elisa Longo Borghini had been dropped by the peloton on the penultimate climb of the day.  In hope of keeping Blasi in white, she left her other teammate up front and slowed up looking for her teammates.  She did her job pulling them, but they never regained the front of the race.  Blasi lost her title of best young rider in the Tour, and Squiban ended up losing five minutes on those she had been with.  The bright note, the teammate she left up front, Domininka Wlodarczyk, finished fourth and moved into fifth on the general classification.  By helping her teammates, her team moved back into the lead of the Team Classification.  

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: "Looking to Help TdFF26-30" (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 Femmes '26, Stage 5: Unchallenged

Despite one rider being up the road, Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) was unchallenged for the remaining sprint points available in Monsols.  Just as Mads Pedersen had done in the men's Tour, she got herself over the opening climbs of the day with the peloton just so she could grab these sprint points.  She had her teammate, Elena Cecchini on her wheel just to make sure no one tried to come around her.  On their wheels were Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD) and the Women's World Champion Magdeleine Valliers (EF Education-Oatly).  I think this is the first time I have had the opportunity to paint her since she claim the title in Rwanda last fall.  The rainbow stripes look good on her!

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: "Unchallenged TdFF26-26" (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 Femmes '26, Stage 3: Time to Chase

I'm not sure why it took so long, but with thirty-eight kilometers to race, the peloton finally started to chase the two women up the road.  With the increase in pace, the peloton stretched out into a fast single-file line with those at the back wondering what happened.  Paula Ostiz (Movistar) popped off the back just after I painted this.  Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD) - who had won a stage so beautifully last year - hung onto the wheel of Laura Ascencio (Ma Petite Entreprise) with Malwina Mul (Cofidis) and Emilie Morier (St Michel-Home Preference-Auber93) hanging onto the wheels in front of them. Everyone but Ostiz finished with the peloton, but none ever caught the two up the road.

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: "Time to Chase TdFF26-16" (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 →