Tour '22, Stage 16: With the Voiture Balai

Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) was having a very, very rough day.  Apparently having digestive issues which left him suffering and decorating the road (and his jersey) he struggled to continued to stay in the Tour de France.  He has been a strong support rider for his team leader Tadej Pogacar.  The desire to be able to help Pogacar retake the Maillot Jaune in the next two days may be the only reason he stayed on the bike today.  He had been left by everyone but the Boiture Balai (literally translating as car broom).  The Broom Wagon is there to pick up riders who climb off their bikes long after their team cars have gone up the road to be the peloton.  Soler did fight all of the way to the finish in Foix, but he came in over 57 minutes after the stage winner which was outside the time limit for the day.  That translate to a brave ride that respected the Tour de France, but was still his ticket to head home to Spain just over the mountains he struggled over today.

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 $90 USD including shipping, and yes, international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3894709-97-294403/Painting/with-the-voiture-balai-tdf22-98.html

Tour, Stage 7: A Long Flat Stage

This is one of the paintings were I am very satisfied with how the sky turned out.  This stretch of road is usually used near the end of the Tour.  The road leads to Chartes, just a half hour train ride out of P
aris.  Today's stage was the longest of this year's Tour at 231 kilometers.  With the exception of a brief moment where the peloton split is some relatively mild cross winds, it was a rather relaxed stage with the peloton riding almost an hour behind the slowest predicted time.  That alone was a good thing for the American Lawson Craddock (EF Education First) amongst others.  Craddock has been nursing his injuries from Stage 1 and has been fearing having to head home every stage.  He has been raising money, getting fans (and himself) to pledge money to a Huston cycling group and Velodrome that suffered mightly in last fall's hurricanes.

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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2018/3187218-34-251072/PaintingA-Long-Flat-Stage--T18-34.html

Giro, Stage 17: Tangling at the Back

I had meant to call this piece, "Dangling at the Back," but clearly that isn't what I wrote.  I was going to try and correct it, but then thought that Tangling is what is actually going on here.  Today was the 17th stage and was perhaps the fastest stage (and Giro) yet.  At the back of the peloton a little bit of an argument of gestures was going on between Brendan Canty (EF Education First) and Markel Irizar (Trek-Segafredo).  Canty seems to be trying to get Irizar to take the dimishing wheels of the peloton, rather than taking a pull himself.  Behind, Vasil Kiryienka (Sky) was just off the back.  Not a place I am used to seeing the strong, unrelenting Belarussian.  I had the pleasure of watching Kiryienka take the Time Trial World Champion's jersey in Richmond, Virginia in 2015. 

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.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/101st-Giro-dItalia/3167320-68-249297/PaintingTangling-at-the-Back--G18-73.html

Vuelta, Stage 19: Lantern Rouge

The "Lantern Rouge" is the designation for the rider in last place on the general classification.  That honor is being held by the tallest main in the peloton, Conor Dunne (Aqua Blue Sport).  Dunne is riding for his team, not for a high finish.  He was largely responsible for their climber, Stephan Denifi getting into the break the lead to his stage win.  As proof of the value the team places in the Irishman, he is being assisted up the climb by his teammate, Peter Koning.  For such a big man, he is doing well to hold onto the Team Sky lead peloton as it makes climb after climb on the 156 kilometer day of racing.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3031002-45-239162/PaintingLantern-Rouge-V-46.html

Paris Nice, Stage 5: Lantern Rouge

The honorific of Lantern Rouge is usually reserved for the rider in last place on the general classification, however Joe Dombrowski (Cannondale Drapac) is only one spot (30 seconds) removed from the honor.  Today he was spending his time hanging on to the tail end of the peloton (until he lost contact near the end of the stage).  Just ahead of the American are the Eritrean Tsgabu Grmay (Bahrain-Merida) and Gatis Smukulis (Delko Marseille Provence KTM).

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2931657-354-195767/PaintingLantern%20Rouge%20PN17-19.html

Tour Stage 15: Lanterne Rouge

The Lanterne Rouge is the last man in the overall standings of the Tour de France, so Ji Cheng (Giant Shimano) has both the dubious honor of being the last man on the General Classification and the true honor of being the first to represent China in the Tour.  There is no shame in being the last man, Cheng, who has been dubbed the break away killer, has the job of going to the front of the peloton and pulling the hold group along for kilometer after kilometer.  He will ride on the front until he can't produce another watt of power.  He then pulls off the front and gets to the end of the day as best as he can.  At the other end of the peloton, his teammate Marcel Kittel has the chance to get another of his stage wins do the efforts of Cheng.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This work and all of my paintings from the 101st Tour de France will appear in my soon to be self published collection in "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become part of bringing the 2014 Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some very nice rewards for those who choose to back this project, they all include your name in print on the Special Thanks page of the book, and various levels include an artist signed copy of the book, original art and/or printed postcards.  The book is available for any pledge of support at $25 USD and above.  If you would rather just purchase this particular painting follow the direct link at the end of this post, but wouldn't you want to have all of the paintings in a book, too?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2405532-114-108-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U8x66MvD_IU

Tour Stage 11: Making the Time Limit

There are so many stories in the Tour de France, so many that become legendary, fabled, tales of valor, sacrifice, personal triumph and of struggle, pain and suffering.  Today Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) can add is name to the list of those who have showed courage and determination in the Tour.  Talansky dropped off of the peloton on the first categorized climb of the day, eventually stopping at the side of the road apparently about to leave the Tour in unbearable pain.  After a lengthy discussion, he decided to honor the work his team had done for him thus far, by riding the rest of the stage.  He faced almost certain elimination by finishing outside of the time limit.  Riders must finish within a certain percentage of the winner's time based on the difficulty of the stage.  It was calculated that he had to cross the line no more than 34 minutes after Tony Gallopin raised his arms in victory. Talansky was the second victor of the day.  After stretching his gap out to roughly twenty minutes, he found the inner strength to hold that gab, riding even with the peloton, but much further back, with only the following Broom Wagon, the Voiture Balai, and his team car for company.  Virtually all of the crowds that had cheered the victory of Gallopin , waited to cheer this personal victory with almost the same zeal.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting 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, or to discover how you can become part of bringing the tome of the Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  To purchase this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2403866---199992/Painting.html#.U8d8o8_D_IU