Tour Femmes '26, Stage 9: Down the Col d'Eze Alone

Isabella Holgren (Lidl-Trek) had attacked the Maillot Jaune group on the third ascent of the Col d'Eze and got away.  She went over the top and started the rather frightening and very fast descent alone.  As she dropped off of the summit she built up a minute's gap on those she had left behind.  She does sit third in the race for the Maillot Blanc of the best young rider, but I doubt she will be able to pull back three minutes with just a final lap left to race.  Still, it is well worth the effort, both of her young rivals also have work to do for their team leaders so they could have to work for the team and not the white jersey dreams.

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.

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Tour Femmes '26, Stage 9: How Much?

As the peloton came through Nice to start the second of four laps, both Malwina Mul (Cofidis) and Paula Ortiz (Movistar) had managed to get off the front of the of the reduced group.  They each peeked to see if they were getting much of an advantage.  Racing through the downtown area it was Ostiz's turned to peer back to assess where the chasers were.  The peloton wasn't too concerned.  The first trip up Col d'Eze had dropped about have of the one hundred and twenty some women who had started the final stage.  It was safe to assume that these two would most likely suffer the same fate.

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.

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Tour Femmes '26, Stage 8: Flying Over the Col

It was quite the costume that greeted the breakaway over the top of the Col de Toutes Aures.  I guess he is supposed to be an angel and antecedent to the Devil we are used to see along the mountain roads in the Alps.  Regardless, he was cheering the breakaway of Maeva Squiban (UAE Team L'IMAD) and Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek).  As they went over the summit that had built up a little over six minutes lead over the peloton. Would it be enough to hold off a peloton that is riding for their sprinters despite the couple of short climbs that face them as the ride into Nice.

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.

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Tour Femmes '26, Stage 6: Letting Them Go

Nikola Noskova (Cofidis) went out today on a mission.  While she didn't score points on the first climb of the day, she got maximum Queen of the Mountain points on the next three climbs thus far.  However, as her breakaway companions, Katrine Aalerud (Uno X-Mobility) and Loes Adegeest m(Lidl-Trek), upped the pace, she dropped away.  She had picked up a total of seven QOM points in the effort, but alas, the current Queen scored ten points on the day.  Still, she did increase her advantage over the erstwhile Maillot Jaune and Aalerud's teammate Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset.  

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 21: An Iconic Moment

I can only imagine what it would be like to race up the Champs Elysees towards the l'Arc de Triomphe off the front of the peloton.  This duo with the Frenchman Thibault Guernalec (TotalEnergies) and the Spainard Xabier Mikel Azparren (Pinarello-Q36.5) had built up fifty seconds on the peloton before they all turn right at the top of the rise.  Next on the menu was the three loops that include the climb up to the summit of Montmartre.  I wonder if they will still be off the front by the time they ride pass Sacre Coeur?

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 19: Climbing in Green

Traditionally, sprinters can't climb.  That is not the case with Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).  While he has won a stage this Tour, most of his points towards his sprinters' jersey have come from winning (or at least scoring points) the intermediate sprints.  Yesterday, he went up the road over categorized climbs to score maximum points at the intermediate sprint knowing full well he wouldn't be there for the points at the mountain top finish.  His teammate Derek Gee-West has been assigned to help him carry the Maillot Vert all of the way to Paris.  Others on the team are shepherding there two guys that are in the top ten, Mattias Skjelmose and Juan Ayuso.  The USA champion Quinn Simmons seems to be on double duty and sometimes is left free to go for the stage win.  For Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) he is thrilled to have a good pair of wheels to carry him up the mountain.  He continues to chase the KOM points always going over the mountain behind the current wearer, and virtual, Maillot a Pois.

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 17: Attacking Near 4 K

I was confused why Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease a Bike) was helping chase down the six-man breakaway.  Now I understand.  His teammate, the American, Matteo Jorgenson attacked on a final roller inside of the four-kilometer banner.  When he went only two guys could go with him.  Not really visible are Derek Gee-West (Lidl-Trek) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) finding shelter behind the broad shoulders of the American.  Dropping of but still off the front is the former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Netcompany-Ineos).  Being a fan of Jorgenson, I was hoping this would stick, but the sprinters wanted their final chance.  Well, the sprinters that were still in the vastly reduced 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 work sells for $99 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

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Tour '26, Stage 11: Rolling Through

As the four-man breakaway hit a rise in the road, Julian Alaphilippe dropped off the back, not having the legs to hang with the other three.  Without the one they thought would most likely beat them in the sprint, the trio of Nelson Oliviera (Moivstar), Mathias Le Berre (TotalEnergies), and Anthon Charmig (Uno X-Mobility) continued to work together, each sharing their pulls on the front.  Surprisingly, they actually increased their advantage over the peloton despite this being the fastest stage in the history of the Tour de France.  The record was set way back in 1999.  The 113th Tour keeps setting new records daily.  I'm going to guess that this is the most riders to start an eleventh stage of the Tour as well.  Having sped up, it was still unlikely the sprinters and their teams were going to let them stay off the front by the time they reach Nevers.  At this point they still had twenty-one kilometers to go and only had an advantage of forty-five seconds.  Clearly, not enough to claim the day.

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 11: Big Names in the Break

Well, maybe two of them are big names, in fact I have never heard of the other two before today.  The title is a play on the low angle shot from the back of the TV Moto. Leading this breakaway is the French favorite Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling).  Perhaps the main reason he is out there is because he is racing near where he grew up.  Swinging off the front is the other name of the peloton, Nelson Oliviera (Movistar) who is in his tenth (I think) Tour.  Behind is Anthon Charmig (Uno X-Mobility) and then Mathis Le Berre (TotalEnergies) both of whom are new to me.  The quartet have built up almost a minute-and-a-half on the peloton.  However, those behind never let them have more of an advantage than that.  I suspect no one wanted to have a hard chase given the on going heat.  They did get a break with a few showers at the start of the stage.

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 9: Can They Stay Away?

This quartet only had forty-seven seconds on the peloton with another fourteen kilometers left to Ussel.  Conventional wisdom says that they don't have enough of a gap to stay away from the chasing peloton, but that doesn't take into account the quality of these four guys.  Now that his gears are funtioning, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) was doing his part to pull his companions along.  Tobias Johannessen (Uno X-Mobility) will pull next followed in turn by the powerhouse of the group, Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech).  It is the erstwhile Maillot a Pois, Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) who is slipping to the back to get a bit of a breather having done his turn on the front.  Are we going to be treated to a successful breakaway or will it be heartbreak like yesterday's stage?

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 8: Three Debutantes

The trio of Liam Stock (Lotto-Intermarche), Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros), and Thibault Guernalec (TotalEnergies) went off the front from kilometer zero.  With eighty-three kilometers left to ride of the one-hundred-and-eighty-kilometer stage, they were holding a gap of nearly two minutes over the sprinters' teams.  The title I choose was because all three of them are riding their first ever Tour de France.  I would say that it was also their first ever breakaway, but Otruba was off the front for most of the stage yesterday.  He rode all day with Stock's teammate Viestroffer.  It seems another vain effort since the stage appears to be a perfect day for the sprinters to strut their stuff. 

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 3: Starting the Climb First

Raul Garcia (Movistar) broke free from his erstwhile breakaway companions to start the first Category 1 climb of this Tour de France.  He quickly opened up a ten second gap as he rode past the placard announcing the start of the Col de Toses.  He well knows that whoever gets to the summit first will most likely take the Maillot a Pois of the best climber in the Tour.

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.

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Tour '26, Stage 2: A Costal Break

The first road stage of the Tour also meant it was time for the first breakaway of the 113th Tour de France.  This trio of Frank Van Den Broek (Picnic-PostNL), Felix Englehardt (Jayco-Alula) and Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros) got away after about six kilometers as they left Tarragone.  I thought I'd try and make a joke about the breakaway riding along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea with the title.  I'm not sure I succeed.  It was a great day out for Molenaar.  By being in the break, he won the intermediate sprint and claimed the next Maillot a Pois of best climber in the Tour.  Poor Ban Den Broek cramped as he tried to sprint for those mountain points and quickly found himself back in the peloton after seventy kilometers off the front.  The other two weren't caught by the peloton for an additional sixty kilometers.  I don't know which of the two will be awarded the most combative rider prize for the stage.  Look for one of them to have a red bib number tomorrow.

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.

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Liege-Bastogne-Liege '26: Not Much Longer

The last three from the early breakaway knew their time out front was about to come to an end.  Alexander Kamp (Uno X-Mobility) looks behind Hugo Houle (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Gijs Leemreize (Picnic-PostNL) hoping not to see the closing peloton.  With another eighty kilometers until getting back to Liege, the question now was will they be able to hold onto the others as they make the catch.

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. 

"Not Much Longer LBL26-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Fleche Wallonne '26: Checking In

After doing his share of work on the front of this quintet, Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies) checks in with Vincent Van Hemelen (Flanders-Baloise) and the rest of his early breakaway companions.  They have been joined in the effort to stay away from the peloton by Jakub Otruba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Jardi Christiaan Van Der Lee (EF Education-EasyPost), Sjoerd Bax (Pinarello-Q 36.5) and Andreas Leknessund (Uno X-Mobility).  With over ninety kilometers to go until the base of the final fabled climb of the Mur de Hoy, they were holding over two minutes on the peloton of favorites behind.

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.  

"Checking In FW26-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Femmes '25, Stage 8: Climbing the Madeleine

I rarely have a problem with heights particularly when I am not the one looking over the steep precipice, but this shot from the helicopter made me very nervous.  As the remnants of the breakaway worked their way up the Col de la Madeleine it looked like there was barely enough road etched into the mountain side for them, or all of the following support cars.  With fifteen kilometers left to climb they still have almost two minutes on the chasing peloton.  I certainly hope the entire climb isn't etched into the cliff face like this stretch of road.  And then I am worried about that clump of fans leaning against the railing.  And just how did they manage to get to this stretch of mountain road anyway?

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.

"Climbing the Madeleine TdFF25-49" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Femmes '25, Stage 7: With a Solid Lead

As the breakaway went up the Cote de Saint Franc, they had shed about half of original group.  Some of those still there on the climb were the two Americans, Chloe Dygert (Canyon/SRAM-zondacrypto) and Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) along with Celia Le Mouel (Ceratizit), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and the ever-aggressive Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ).  The group increase their advantage on the way up the first categorized climb of the day.  They now have over four minutes on the peloton that includes the Maillot Jaune, the Maillot Vert, and the Maillot a Pois.  Is this the move that will win the stage?

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.

"With a Solid Lead TdFF25-37" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Femmes '25, Stage 7: Are You Coming?

Wearing her green bib number indicating she was voted the most aggressive rider from stage 6, Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) looks back at the TV Moto as if to ask if he is going to come with her.   She is on the tail of the day's early breakaway.  Beside her seeming to try and guest what Squiban is looking at is Susanne Andersen (Uno X-Mobility).  Just in front of her is the Belgian Champion, Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal).  Had I known how this stage was going to end, I may have read something else into this look over her shoulder.

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.

"Are You Coming? TdFF25-36" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Femmes '25, Stage 3: Analog

The breakaway was a strong one as evidenced by the fact that there were three national champions in the four-woman group.  They had built four minutes on the peloton and with forty-six kilometers they still had roughly two and a half minutes on the peloton.  They were working well together, each taking a pull than like Alison Jackson (EF Education-Oatley) than dropping back to the back of the group to wait for their turn again.  Now it was Clemence Latimier (Arkea-B&B Hotels) on the front followed in turn Catalin Anais Soto (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi) and then Sara Martin (Movistar).  Martin is in her Spanish Champion's jersey, Soto in her Chilean jersey and Jackson her Canadian one.  The peloton wasn't gaining all that quickly mainly due to how well the quartet was working with each other.

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. 

"Analog TdFF25-13" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '25, Stage 20: Who's Still Here?

After a treacherous wet corner that took out two and delayed a third of his breakaway companions, Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) looks back to see who is still with him.  Along with him, Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Frank Van Dem Brock (Picnic-PostNL) stayed upright.  While everyone did get back up to finish the stage, their time in the front group was over.  I was really worried that the Movistar rider wasn't going to be able to continue, but he did finish the stage.  It would suck to have gotten this close to Paris and have to leave before seeing the Champs Elysees!

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.   

"Who's Still Here? TdF25-136" (Original art by Greig Leach)