Tour Femmes '22, Stage 7: On to the Final Climb

This group has been hanging out in the middle of the leader's and the group of the Maillot Jaune for kilometers.  It was nice to see Urska Zigart (BikeExchange-Jayco) dangling off of a leading group rather than the back of the peloton.  Her riding position implys she isn't comfortable around her fellow riders.  It seems she should just go on a solo raid since she is spending the entire Tour de France Femmes riding in the wind anyway.  She was keeping close to Silvia Persico (Valcar-Travel & Service), Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope) as they sextet swung onto the road that will take them up the Grand Ballon.  Zigart moved up 43 places due to her efforts on the day, she still sits 46th on the general classification.  Persico is riding to hold onto her third place over all.  If she can't catch the two up the road, she will slide down a bit.  She did slide to sixth. I was still trying to figure out if Muzic was riding for her team leader, or the other way round.

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

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Tour Femmes '22, Stage 2: Hanging Around the Back

It can be a bit risky hanging around the back of the peloton on a long flat stage.  One never knows when a crash or crosswinds, or both, may split the peloton into pieces.  And of course, that is what happen.  I'm not sure why Urska Zigart (BikeExchange-Jayco) or Yulia Biriukova (Arkea) were back here.  Perhaps Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health) could be forgiven.  She had already spent over 70 kilometers off the front.  With the splits that happen, all of them lost minutes in the general classification.  Lesson learned?

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 

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Flanders 2021: Trouble on the Moskesstraat

As the women hit the cobbled climbs in Brugge, Demi Vollering (Netherlands) was being plagued by gear problems.  On the previous climb of the Smeysberg, her gears slipped but she was able to stay in touch with the peloton.  However, on the way up the Moskesstraat climb she wasn’t as lucky (or perhaps, more unlucky would be more accurate).  After stuffing her water bottles down her jersey, she signaled for help and then began running up the climb.  The race announcer, Anthony McCrossan, said she was going all Chris Froome, although he didn’t think to take his bike with him at the iconic moment on Mont Ventoux. She wasn’t the only one having issues on the climb, the Lithuanian Inga Cesuliene was off her bike just ahead of the Dutch woman.  Lauren Stephens (USA) and Ursula Zigart (Slovenia) were having their own issues with the 17% climb themselves.  After her bike change, she was over a minute behind the charging peloton and everyone thought her race was over.  Everyone except Vollering herself.  It wasn’t long before the race cameras picked her out back in the tail end of the peloton.

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 from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

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