Volta ao Algarve '25, Stage 4: A Tough Finale

The final sprint (but not the final stage) saw Milan Fretin (Cofidis) take a clear win in a clean uphill sprint.  He was able to get the better of the Green Jersey of the points leader, Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).  Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) claimed the last step of the stage podium edging out Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) and Biniam Girmay (Intermache-Girmay) at the line in Faro, Portugal.  Tomorrow, the race wraps up with an individual time trial.  It will be interesting to see how much the general classification is shaken up over the twenty kilometer course that ends atop the Malhao Category Two climb.

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.

"A Tough Finale VA25-13" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algarve '25, Stage 4: Almost Over

I just love a title that has more than one meaning.  With just 22 kilometers left of the 175 kilometer stage to race in the final road stage of the 51st Volta ao Algarve clearly, this quartet's suffering was almost over.  In addition, the peloton was a mere twenty seconds behind so their time off the front was just about to come to an end.  For German Tivani (Aviludo-Louletano-Loule) had earned enough King of the Mountains points to make the jersey his for this edition of the race.  Warre Vangheluwe (Soudal-Quick Step), Johan Jacobs (Groupama-FDJ), and Gorka Sorarrain (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) don't have quite as much to show for their time in the breakaway.

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.

"Almost Over VA25-12" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algarve '25, Stage 4: A Bit Sticky

With a bit of a lull in the action during the final road stage of the Volta ao Algarve, Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) dropped back to grab some water bottles for his teammates.  It seemed that he and his director sportif hung onto the bottle a bit longer than was necessary.  I doubt that the commissares would care too much since it wasn't done to get him back into the race or pull him up a mountain.  I guess we could paraphrase the old saying to, "no help, no foul."

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.

"A Bit Sticky VA25-11" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 3: It Counts this Time

This time when Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) outsprinted the peloton, it counted.  Behind him was Alberto Dainese (Tudor Cycling) followed by Biniam Girmay (Intermache-Wanty) and the Belgium Champion Arnaud De Lie (Lotto).  While I didn't see a problem, Dainese was relegated so Girmay and De Lie moved up a step on the stage podium.  With his win today Meeus moves into the Green Jersey of the points leader.  Plus, I'm thrilled to see Girmay back at the pointy end of a stage after his brilliant 2024 Tour de France.

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.

"It Counts this Time VA25-10" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 3: Letting Him Have It

After his team had chased all day, the peloton seemed to let German Tivani (Aviludo-Louletano-Loule) take the maximum points over the last climb of the day, the Faz Fato.  Both EF Education-EasyPost and Ineos-Grenadiers were massed at the front just in case there was a move over the top.  It was just another twenty kilometers until the bonus sprint and neither team wanted to be caught napping on what should prove to be a sprint stage finale.

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.

"Letting Him Have It VA25-9" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 3: They're Here!

Despite having dropped the rest of their breakaway companions, the trio was chased down by the peloton by Aviludo-Louletano-Loule.  Joaquim Silve (Efapel Cycling) looked back behind Cesar Fonte (Radio Popular-Paredes-Boavista) and Carlos Miquel Salgueiero (APHotels & Resorts/Tavira/SC Farense) to see the team of the King of the Mountains jersey chasing them down.  The team wanted to put German Tivani into the KOM Blue Jersey that should have been his since the opening nullified stage.  It was outside of the normal script of a sprint stage, but this race has not been exactly 'normal' since stage one.

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.

"They're Here! VA25-8" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 2: Look at this Guy!"

With less than a kilometer to go to the summit finish at Alto de Foia, Jan Cristen (UAE Team Emirates) attacked his erstwhile breakaway companions.  It looked like he would have enough of a gap to claim the stage when his teammate/team leader, Joao Almeida bridged up to him within sight of the line.  Almeida looked back to make sure his GC rivals were far enough back to ensure he would gain time over them.  He then gestured his congratulations to his teammate who claimed the stage, and the first leader's jersey of the 51st Volta ao Algrave.  Now there is a way to pay back one of the guys who rides in support of you!

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.

"Look at this Guy! VA25-7" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 2: It Had to Happen

Despite a group of four up the road (a different four then the last post), it was Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) who attacked the peloton on the final climb.  As he went with two kilometers to climb of the Alto de Foia, his move was covered by Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Joao Almedia (UAE Team Emirates), and Romain Bardet (Picnic-PostNL).  Just dangling off the four top riders is Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek).  Do they have enough road to catch the leaders?

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.

"It Had to Happen VA25-6" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 2: The Remaining Four

By the time the early break had hit just 38 kilometers to race, they had dwindled from eleven men to these four.  Hugo Nunes (Credibom/LA Aluminios/Marcos Car) along with Brent Van Moer (Lotto), German Tivani (Aviludo-Louletaqno-Loule), and Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck) still had roughly two and a half minutes on the chasing peloton.  At this point, Tivani had regained the lead in the King of the Mountians competition that had been stripped from him with the odd decision over the finale yesterday.  However, there are still a category two and category one climb yet to come.  Since the final climb is the finish, it will be unlikely he will be wearing the jersey at the start of stage 3.  Had he not lost his points from stage one, he would be.

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.

"The Remaining Four VA25-5" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algrave '25, Stage 2: Chatting Down the Back

With the early break away well up the road, the peloton wasn't flat out yet with another 49 kilometers to race.  The back of the peloton seemed rather relaxed.  Jasper De Buyst (Lotto) was at ease enough to have an extended conversation with his treammate, Jarrad Drizners.  Perhaps they were discussing the will end to the opening stage of the 51st Volta ao Algrave and the even more bizarre decision to nullify the entire stage.  The entire peloton was marked as 'did not finish' and no jersey points nor time bonuses were awarded.  I think that was the worst possible resolution to the mayhem of 80% of the peloton going off course with less than a kilometer to race.

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.

"Chatting Down the Back VA25-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algarve 25, Stage 1: WTF?

Having unknowingly gone of course, Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was less than pleased to discover that he had not one the stage.  In the roughly 80% of the peloton who had missed read the turn inside of the final kilometer, it was Meeus who outsprinted all of the other misguided sprinters.  I was wondering why the lone policeman pointed one way as the front of the peloton went the other way.  It became clear as most of the peloton was racing behind the crowds and the barriers, as just a handful of the riders went down the true finishing straight.  Kudos for Meeus for keeping a civil tongue in his moutn (at least as far as I know), but he did seem to question the one race official he saw.  I am assuming it was along the lines of "What the f**k?"  I sure would have.

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.

"WTF? VA25-3" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algarve 25, Stage 1: Where Did They Go?

It was quite a wild finish to the opening stage of the Volta ao Algrave in Lagos.  The stage went to Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) in a surprising finale.  Inside of the final kilometer the peloton split as they went around a round-about, however about 80% of the peloton went off the racecourse as they came out of the circle.  Ganna was surprised to look behind and see virtually no one chasing.  He went on to claim the stage in a solo victory and the first leader's jersey.  However, due to the mayhem, everyone was awarded the same time in the general classification, excluding the bonus seconds for the sprint.

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.

"Where Did They Go? VA24-2" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Volta ao Algarve 25, Stage 1: Julian's New Colors

I was waiting for the start of the Spring Classics in northern Europe, but then I saw the start list for the Volta ao Algarve.  I decided I wanted to watch and see what plays out.  And of course, I was looking forward to watching Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) in his new team's kit.  As if oft the case, once I started watching the race, I ended up painting it.  Julian wasn't one for this stage, but shortly after I painted this, he moved to the front to ride for his team and their sprinter. 

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.

"Julian's New Colors VA25-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)