Tour Down Under, Stage 1: Starting Out the Year

I always look forward to mid January and the start of the Tour Down Under.  It is a treat to see new kit, new teams, and who has moved to which teams.  The big switch for the season is the demise of BMC, which has been replaced by CCC.  The new team had been a contential level squad but took the chance to move up to the Pro Tour level for 2019. This trio of Jason Lea (UniSA-Australia), Patrick Bevin (CCC) and Michael Storer (Sunweb) lead the peloton over the first climb and through the first to intermediate sprints.  Lea will be pulling on the first King of the Mountains jersey of the season, but the other two will be swamped in the end by the sprinters' teams.

As I sit in the mid-Atlantic of the USA covered in ice and snow, it was fun to listen to the talk of just how hot it was today in Adelaide, South Australia.

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-Down-Under/3284012-119-194179/PaintingStarting-Out-the-Year--TDU19-1.html

Tour de France, Stage 19: Hitting Them Early

With the summit of the Category 1 climb up the Col du Chaussy coming just 15 kilometers into the day's stage, Alberto Contador's (Tinkoff Saxo) early attack caught Team Sky and the Maillot Jaune off guard.  It is generally assume that no high placed GC contender will go out early on a stage.  It can be a risky move to put a lot of effort in early on.  A rider runs the risk of using too much energy early on and having nothing left for the final climb of the day.  A climb where all of the others will be planning to launch their bids to gain time on Chris Froome (Team Sky) and the others near them on the General Classification.  So Team Sky, let Contador take off on his own, after all, he is over six minutes behind the race lead of their team leader, Froome.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & Company, www.richesonart.com.  They are a small family run art supply business in the mid-west of the United States.  This painting is available, along with all of my cycling art, at my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is an original painting, so once it has sold, it is gone.  I would recommend not delaying.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2584676-125-210122/Painting.html#.VbKaNvlVikp