Tour '26, Stage 20: Preferring to Climb Alone

Sepp Kuss and his Visma-Lease a Bike team has clearly had a plan all day.  And on the Col de Sarenne Sepp launched the final phase.  He jumped clear of his remaining breakaway companions and went alone to the summit.  The climb was so narrow that the ASO who organize the race had prevented fans from getting on the mountain in order to keep the riders safe.  So, I had planned on a bad pun comparing the Sarenne to serene, but it really was a rather serene climb and must have felt great to be free of the noise of the crowds.  I love the quiet of being out on my bike all alone, but I am not working anywhere as hard as this American is.

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: "Preferring to Climb Alone TdF26-148" (Original art by Greig Leach)

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Tour '26, Stage 20: Hanging Tough on the Galibier

As the peloton climbed the Col du Galibier it was good to see Warren Barguil (Picnic-PostNL) and the American Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) still hanging onto the group.  With his twin brother up the road, Anders Johannessen (Uno X-Mobility) was still here as well.  Of course, he and the rest of the peloton were now almost four-and-a-half minutes behind the breakaway with the gap continuing to grow.  Conversely, the grupetto was way back down this long mountain 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 $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

Purchase this painting here: "Hanging Tough on the Galibier TdF26-146" (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 16 ITT: Settling In

Having just started his twenty-six-kilometer individual time trial, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) settles into his aero-tuck and gets down to business.  I was wondering if Jorgenson was going to go full gas for the stage victory or would he just get around the course to hold his position in the GC?  His fourteenth place at the end of the day seems to indicate that he and his teammates were saving themselves to race for stage victories in the closing week of the Tour.  It was a treat to watch his sister Nicole interview his at the end of the stage.  He seemed truly relaxed and enjoying having family around.  It does seem to be a close family.  I have had online conversations with his mother.

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: "Settling In TdF26-116" (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 15: With Conviction

Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) was on fire today.  He jumped from the very small breakaway on the final climb of the day, the Plateau de Solaison.  He chased down Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula) the former Swiss champion as they raced near the border with Switzerland.  I thought he would sit on Schmid's wheel for a bit on the HC (outside category) climb, but no, he went straight on by.  He was racing with the conviction that the peloton would worry too much about each other to bother chasing him.  With nine more kilometers to climb to the summit and the end of the stage he still had a minute and forty-five seconds on the group containing the yellow jersey.  That would be plenty of time if it was a flat stage, but this is a climb with an average of a 9% gradient.  

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: "With Conviction TdF26-111" (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 de France 23, Stage 9: The Real Sting of the Tour

I've always enjoyed those that use the word "literally" when they mean "figuratively."  This title plays one against the other.  It could be said that stage 9 had a real sting in the tail - figurative.  But the sting that Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) felt was quite real, delivered by a real bee in the helmet.  (think bee in the bonnet) He dropped back from the front group to check in with the race medic.  I had forgotten that there is also a medical moto to compliment the medical team on the Tour.  The moto usually goes with the break away and the doctor's car stays with the peloton.  

He was given a antihistamine and got back to the job of trying to win the stage.  There are few meds that those in the Tour are allowed since some can be used to enhanced performance.  I'm sure the medics don't have anything that the riders can not use.

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 $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3964560-50-297438/Painting/the-real-sting-of-the-tour-tdf23-50.html

Tour '22, Stage 19: The Exuberence of Youth

The five mam break away was a long shot, but going it alone with 46 kilometers was really extremely long odds.  But the title says it all.  Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) is the youngest rider in the Tour having just turned 21 years old.  His youthfulness may explain his trying to go on alone.  He had been with Matej Mohoric, but the veteran sat up and went back to the peloton just forty five seconds behind the now lone American.  I am sure Simmons was going for the red bib number of most combative rider in the stage.  Given how many times he has been off the front of the peloton, he may be hoping to get that title for the whole Tour once they all reach Paris.

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 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3895285-123-294403/Painting/the-exuberence-of-youth-tdf22-124.html

TDF, Stage 15: First Over the Top

I wonder if Wout Van Aerts and Sepp Kuss of Jumbo-Visma had drawn straws to see how the end of the stage would go.  Both were up the road in the break away, but their main GC rider, Jonas Vingegaard was on his own in the group containing the Maillot Jaune.  Already Ineos-Grenadiers had call back their two guys from the break to do some work for their GC guy.  It seems that it came to Van Aerts to drop back and Kuss to be the guy to go for the stage victory.  And go the American did!  Kuss went over the final climb alone having dropped the veteran of the Tour, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).  At this point, it is literally all down hill to win the stage.  He is a former mountain biker, so he may have the skill set and fearlessness it takes to hold off someone like Valverde.  It will be a very fast final 14 kilometers today.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at www.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.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3823344-98-291436/Painting/first-over-the-top-tdf21-97.html

Tour, Stage 5: Up and Chasing Back

Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) may have had a turn of luck, and it wasn't in his favor.  It looked like he hit one of the islands (or road furniture as Phil Liggett likes to call it) and went down hard on his left side.  He was back up quickly, fixed his chain, and got back on his bike.  He used both his good form and the adrenaline from the fall to quickly chase down the peloton.  It was much tougher for the American than it had been earlier in the day for the Maillot Blanc of Tadej Pogacar, now the peloton was in full flight towards the sprint finale.  The good news, he was able to get back on long before the end of the stage.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2020/3690192-32-282744/Painting/up-and-chasing-back-tdf20-27.html