Tour '25, Stage 4: Two Minutes

Three of these four guys went away at kilometer zero. Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) joined up with Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno x-Mobility) and Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies) after about twenty kilometers.  He had to bridge a minute-and-a-half to join the early morning breakaway.  As they are currently being informed by the old-school chalkboard on the back of a motorcycle, they built up a two-minute lead on the peloton.  Unfortunately for this quartet that seems to be about all of the advantage the peloton was willing to let them have.  Or as it is oft put, they weren't going to be given any more leash to run.  Asgreen has once pulled off a breakaway win on a sprinter's day, but with 144 kilometers to go, it wasn't looking like lightening would strike twice for the former Danish Champion.

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.

"Two Minutes TdF25-18" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour '24, Stage 8: Still on His Own

With just another twenty-four kilometers to go (out of a total of 183.4), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) was still off the front of a peloton full of sprinters wanting to win the stage.  He was just getting the time gap to the group behind shown to him via the archaic method of the chalkboard.  I am sure his team car keeps him informed, but this is a holdover from before the days of GPS, race radios, and transponders.  The Tour has been dealing with off and on rain, wet roads, and much colder temperatures from the opening of the race in Italy.  It didn't seem that the conditions were bothering the Norwegian at all.  In fact, I imagine, this was a typical mid-summer day for him.

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.

"Still on His Own TdF24-43" (Original art by Greig Leach)

TDF, Stage 17: Just How Far Back?

It took awhile for the successful break to form today, but once it did it opened up a large gap.  Maxime Chevalier (B&B Hotels), Dorian Godon (Ag2r-Citroen) and Lukas Postlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) were tucked on to the back of the six man group.  The group being led by the Frenchman, Anthony Perez (Cofidis) were being shown that they had just over eight minutes on the main peloton.  Of the six, four were French, all hoping to bring a stage win for their countrymen on Bastille Day.

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/3824027-106-291436/Painting/just-how-far-back-tdf21-105.html

TDF, Stage 4: And Now We Race

With the peloton having made its point, it was time to race.  As expected it was both Cofidis and Lotto Soudal who sent someone up the road.  This being a sprint stage, it was vey unlikely that the break would succeed, but all things are possible until they aren't.  With Lotto Soudal having lost their sprinter, Caleb Ewan in a sprint crash yesterday, the team's hope for stage victories lay in the break aways.  The first to enact the plan was Brent Van Moer who had succeed in just such an effort in the opening stage of this year's Dauphine.  Joining in the most likely doomed effort is Pierre-Luc Perichon (Cofidis).  At this moment they are being shown with an old fashion chalkboard that they have roughly a minute a half on the following peloton.

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 ti is an original work of art, it is a first come first seved reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburth 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/3820878-22-291436/Painting/and-now-we-race-tdf21-22.html

Dauphine, Stage 6: Letting Them Know

It may be old school, but the chalkboard is still used to let the riders know what the time gaps are between the groups on the road.  The peloton has been chasing the large break away since the start of the day.  With 30 kilometers left to race it is useful to know just how close the escapees are.  And, yes, the team cars, the race radios, and GPS kind of make this relic unnecessary.  But I doubt it will disappear anytime soon.

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 ti is an original work of art, it is a first come first seved reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburth 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/Criterium-du-Dauphine/3815280-111-185083/Painting/letting-them-know-cd21-27.html

Paris Nice Stage 5: Not Good News

For the break, comprised of Egor Silin (Tinkoff Saxo), Pawel Poljanski (Katusha), Romain Sicard (Europcar), Andrew Talansky (Cannondale Garmin) and Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), the time keeper's chalkboard did not reveal good news at all.  With 14 kilometers left to race to Rasteau, the board shows only a 50 second advantage on the fast charging peloton.  The racers only have one more small climb to go so the teams of the sprinters are most anxious to put these guys safely back in the fold.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  If you interested in purchasing this original artwork, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Enjoying reading about a bike race with these accompanying paintings?  Then check out my recently published Book de Tour - Art of the 101st Tour de France.  The book is available through most online booksellers around the world, so google the title to find where you can get it without paying international shipping charges.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2525044---195767/Painting.html#.VQMqZPzF-xU

Tour Stage 7: They Are Coming

Today's long stage brought the peloton and the leading break away that much closer to the high alpine passes that but fear into the hearts of use mere mortal cyclists.  The early break of six riders were not given much of a leash by Peter Sagan's Cannondale boys.  Cannondale looked over the race profile and felt that their climbing sprinter had what it would take to distance Greipel and Kittel on the final climbs and be the one to throw his arms in the air in Nancy.  The six men in the break, including these three Martin Elmiger (IAM Cycling and new Swiss National Champion), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and the young American, Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing).  The group is being shown the gap between them and the Cannondale led peloton, in the old school method of a piece of chalk and slateboard.  With all of the riders riding with radio earpieces taped to their ears, it seems a little redundant, but this is a sport full of traditions that die hard.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting and all of my art of the 2014 Tour de France will be included in my soon to be self published book, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order your copy, and to become part of bringing this Tour to print visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some really great incentives at a wide variety of backer levels starting for as little as $5 USD.  If you would like to purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2400810---199992/Painting.html#.U8A4S8_D_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 13: What's the Gap?

As des rigeur for a stage of the Giro d'Italia, the day had a six man break get out in front of the peloton.  One of the services provided to the riders is information on the time gabs between each of the groups on the road.  This is achieved in a rather simplistic manner.  The motorcycle will start a stop watch on the front group then stop and wait for the peloton to arrive.  Once he stops the watch, he speeds back up to the break away, with his passenger writing the information on a chalkboard which he then holds aloft for the cyclist to see.  At this point, the break had 2 minutes and 15 seconds on those behind.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard measuring 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting (and all of my cycling art) is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2368845---198213/Painting.html#.U3_hRs_D_IU

Tour Stage Two: Up Out of the Saddle

The break is now climbing up towards the first mountain points of the day having put the intermediate sprint in valley behind them, it was an uncontested sprint taken by Lars Boom.  As the four get up out of their saddles to add more power to their pedal strokes, a yellow motorcycle with driver and rider covered in yellow leathers hold out a chalkboard with the time splits scribbled out for the riders.  The chalkboard is a hold over from earlier times before team cars, race radio and two way team radios, there is often a call to go back to radio-less racing.  Most of the riders are strongly against this idea.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your artistic piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2174631---186227/Painting.html#.UdoRj8_D9Ms