Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Road Race: Golden Upset

I think Kristen Faulkner (USA) might have been so surprised that her gamble for victory was so successful that she may not have believed that she had actually won the Gold Medal by fifty-eight seconds that she didn't even give a victory salute.  Once she had caught the two leaders, Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Blanka Vas (Hungary) towing Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) along she knew that she had to try to go on her own.  She got the surprise jump on some of the best women in cycling.  Instead of immediately jumping on the American's wheel, they each looked at the other wondering who was going to make the effort.  While they dithered, the gold medal rode up the avenue.  Faulkner returned the Gold Medal to the United States last won in the first Olympic Women's Road Race in 1984.  Chapeau!

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.

"Golden Upset PO24-67" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Road Race: Chasing the Chasers

It was the crash of Chloe Dygart (USA) that broke the peloton apart as they started up the Montmartre climb.  Once she got back up and underway, she spent a great deal of time chasing down those ahead of her on the road.  By this point she had dropped the third group on the road, enough so that her team car has been able to slide in behind her.  She chased for the rest of the day, almost catching the chase group as they finished the race in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.  She finished the day in 15th just over three and a half minutes behind the new Olympic Gold Medalist.

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.

"Chasing the Chasers PO24-65" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Road Race: Vos and Vas

I admit that part of the reason I painted this was just to get to use the title.  That and the fact that Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Blanka Vas (Hungary) were off the front of the race with a twenty-five second gap and a mere eighteen kilometers to go.  Vas was the one who launched on the Montmartre climb with only Vos able to hold the Hungarian's wheel.  As they went back down the other side from Sacre Coeur, the two built on their lead over their erstwhile companions.

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.

"Vos and Vas PO24-64" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Road Race: Starting a Move

As the women returned to Paris, it looks like Mavi Garcia (Espana) is starting a move out of the peloton with 67 kilometers to go.  The Spaniard was joined in the effort by Marianne Vos (Netherlands), Noemi Ruegg (Suisse) and Ashleigh Mooman (South Africa).  They opened a bit of a gap, but no one was going to let this strong of a group get away.  With this move, attacking became the pattern for the rest of the race.  Most every time someone went, they were chased down by the rest of the peloton.  What would it take to break things open?

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.

"Starting a Move PO24-61" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Men's Road Race: Sprinting in Paris

This might be THE image of these Olympic Games for me.  Either unable to catch his teammate, or unwilling to drag the others up to Valentin Madouas (France), Christophe Laporte (France) was able to sprint away from the chase group under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower to take the Bronze Medal.  His third place meant that the French took the two remaining medals behind the Belgium Remco Evenepoel.  Not a bad finish for the home team in front of one of their most famous landmarks.  And kudos to the cameraman that found this angle for the finale, too bad he couldn't have got there for Evenepoel's finale.

As Evenepoel posed with his bike just across the finish, you could see the TV camera men running down the course to get this shot.  Somebody is in trouble...

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.

"Sprinting in Paris PO24-59" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Men's Road Race: The One Thing...

As the leader on the road approached the gate to the grounds of the Louvre he held out his arm, apparently celebrating is impending Gold Medal.  But no, the only thing that could risk Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) from taking his second Gold Medal of these Games would be a mechanical, and that is exactly what he was letting his team car know about.  As he somewhat calmly laid down his bike at the barrier, is mechanic took his spare bike off of the roof of the car.  Normally calm, the Belgium was freaking out about getting his bike as quickly as humanly possible.  It was a very quick bike change, but I am sure it was an eternity for Evenepoel.  As he got back underway - without his bike computer - he kept gesturing to the TV Moto to tell him what the time gap was.  Finally, his team car came up alongside him and let him know he still had almost a minute on the chasers.  It was enough for Evenepoel to take the Gold and in so doing became the first cyclists to win both the Olympic Time Trial and the Road Race at the same games.  Chapeau!

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 One Thing PO24-58" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Men's Road Race: With a Minute in Hand

Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) had been dropping everyone, one by one, or in whole groups on the final circuit in downtown Paris.  Has he went up the climb of Montmartre for the final time, he put in a big surge and drop the last guy, Valentin Madouas (France).  As he came back down the other side on his way to the Eiffel Tower, he had a minute advantage over the Frenchman and another twenty seconds on the group of five still chasing.  The Gold Medal would certainly be his barring any mechanicals or other mishap.  Behind the barriers the Belgium fans were thrilled cheering on their man who had just won the Maillot Blanc and came in second in the Tour de France.  I am quite sure it wasn't only Belgium fans that were thrilled to see this commanding performance from the man who has already won gold in the men's time trial last week.

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. 

"With a Minute in Hand PO24-57" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Men's Road Race: Two Chasing

With a group up the road, both Christophe Laporte (France) and Matteo Jorgenson (USA) knew they had to try and get across.  They had only another 23 kilometers to race through Paris and at this point all of the Olympic medals were up the road.  Laporte was taking a risk pulling another rider up to his teammate, but Madouas wasn't the designated man for the French team.  I'm not sure why they didn't have faith in him, he had just raced an excellent Tour de France two weeks ago.  And now, the man they were riding for, Julian Alaphilippe, wasn't in the mix anymore.  It should be noted that these two ride on the same pro team, Visma-Lease a Bike, so they well know the other's strengths and weaknesses.

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. 

"Two Chasing PO24-56" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Men's Road Race: Atop Montmartre

As the peloton crested the climb up Montmartre, it was Mathieu Van Der Poel (Netherlands) going on the attack with Wout Van Aert (Belgium) in front of the Cathedral of Sacre Coeur.  The site was a perfect stage for a bike race with a long, wide staircase between this stretch of the racecourse and the art nouveau cathedral.  Belgium had the perfect setup for this race.  They could send either Van Aert on an attack or Evenepoel, both of whom are fully capable of winning on this racecourse.  Then they also have Teisj Benoot who is the man for pulling back any breakaways or counterattacks.  This seems to be their race to lose.  It is nice that the fans had both the Belgium and Dutch flags out on the barriers to cheer their countrymen on.

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. 

"Atop Montmarte PO24-54" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Men's Road Race: Sorry About That

While looking back to see who was chasing them, Alexey Lutsenko (Kazakstan) brushed into his breakaway companion, Ben Healy (Ireland).  Lutsenko reached out and tapped the shoulder of the Irishman to let him know he was sorry for the momentary lapse of focus.  He could be pardoned for the goof, they have been racing for just under two hundred kilometers and the real racing hasn't really started yet.  They were building up an advantage on the peloton in search of the five guys 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 $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Sorry About That PO24-53" (Original art by Greig Leach)