Tour de France 23, Stage 12: Taking Risks

Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) went over the Col de La Croix Montmain first and pressed his advantage back down the other side of the mountain.  He was using every bit of the road, taking big risks to keep those behind from catching him prior to the final climb of the day.  Ironically, the hay bales set in front of the guardrail on this turn was almost the thing that made him crash.  He just barely missed one of the bales as he dropped his wheels off the edge of the tarmac.  His winter job of riding cyclo-cross held him in good stead as he managed to stay upright, losing just a tiny modicum of speed.  It was going to take every second he could gain to hold off those working together to chase him down.

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-2023/3965362-73-297438/Painting/taking-risks-tdf23-73.html

Tour, Stage 17: Obstacle Course

These three, Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data) and Alberto Losada (Katusha) flew down the last of the smaller climbs on the front side of the stage.  As they reached the bottom, there was a hard left that was filled with the "road furniture" that litters the roads of Europe.  To try and keep the riders safe, the signs and barriers in the middle of the road have hay bales place in front of them and then they are wrapped in plastic that has red and white stripes to make them stand out on the crowded corners.  Oddly, in France, the coverings are always on the diagonal, here in Switzerland, the are on the horizontal (or vertical).  Fortunately, everyone got around them safely.  No one seemed to want to test the padding around the signs.

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.  This painting, along with all of my cycling art, is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  While you are on the site, be sure to check out my other works of art and my two cycling books.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Bear in mind that this is a one of a kind original and once it is gone, it is gone.

To buy this painting, follow this link:

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202016/2826260-119-224974/PaintingObstacle%20Course%20TdF120-Greig-Leach.html#.V4_uTriAOko

Tour Stage 12: Into the Hay Bales

The race organizers of the Tour de France do all they can to keep the riders safe including placing red striped hay bales to protect the riders from unmovable dangers along the entire race course of the Tour.  So much of the race comes down to luck, some you can make, and some makes you.  Davide De La Cruz had a very unluckily timed front wheel blow out as he leaned into a hard right turn.  With his carbon rim on the pavement he had no warning or chance to keep his bike upright.  Furthering the bad luck, he took out the back wheel of Sebastien Langeveld (Garmin Sharp) sending them both into the hay bales and fans that lined the corner.  Langeveld jumped back up, and went off to catch back onto his break away companions.  De La Cruz was not so lucky, his writhing in pain left in no doubt that the hard contact with the asphalt had most likely broken his shoulder or collar bone.  Whatever the injury, his first trip to the Tour de France was now over. This is a small original watercolor and ink painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published book of my art of the 101st Tour de France, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how to become involved in bringing this amazing edition of the Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some wonderful rewards for backers at a wide variety of levels, all include your name in print on the special thanks page, and starting at $5 USD.  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%202014/2404230---199992/Painting.html#.U8h8zc_D_IU