Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 1: The First King Down Under

The two guys from ARA Australian Cycling were still off the front of the peloton as they went over the final categorized climb of the stage.  As they had every climb before, Fergus Browning led his teammate Zacharie Marriage over the summit collecting the maximum King of the Mountain points every time.  By so doing, he becomes the first to wear the Polka Dot Jersey of this Tour Down Under.  There is some symmetry with the women's TDU, with the first Queen of the Mountains going to a member of the women's ARA Australian Cycling Team.  With another thirty kilometers to race and the peloton just over a minute behind, it is very doubtful that they will still be off the front much longer.  Still, it was well worth the effort.

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 First King Down Under TDU25-20" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 1: The First to Get Away

Zachaire Marriage (ARA Australian Cycling) and his teammate Fergus Browning, along with Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale) were the three to get away.  As in the women's race, it was the Australian national team that was lighting up the race.  The trio went through the first King of the Mountain climb without contesting the points on offer.  As they crested the climb to Kangaroo Creek Reservoir, it was Browning who grabbed the most points towards the Polka Dot Jersey of the best climber in the race.  It seems like Browning and Marriage had some sort of agreement about who would pull on the first KOM jersey.  After the first sprint, which Tronchon claimed and the three second time bonus that came with it, the Frenchman fist bumped the Aussies and drifted back to the peloton who were three and a half minutes back down 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 $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"The First to Get Away TDU25-18" (Original art by Greig Leach)