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.

Purchase this painting here: "Rolling Through TdF26-76" (Original art by Greig Leach)

 Learn more about Greig Leach at The Art of Cycling: About the Artist: Greig Leach

And learn about Leach's published books at The Art of Cycling: Cycling Books by Greig Leach

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Tour '25, Stage 12: Shepherding Yellow

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) was being shepherded by his teammates, Nielson Powless and Harry Sweeny, over the relatively flat first hundred kilometers of the stage.  He did have two teammates in the large breakaway up the road, and three more taking turns on the front of the peloton.  As they make sure Healy has everything he needs, one of the Visma-Lease a Bike guys drops back along the front of the peloton.  I presume he is headed back to fetch bidons from his team car.  It should be noted that this is the Irishman's second day of racing in the Maillot Jaune.  It has been just shy of forty years since one of his countrymen have worn yellow in the Tour de France.  The last guy to do it was Stephen Roche.  In that case, he went on to win the 1987 Tour de France.  I don't think Healy will be able to repeat that accomplishment.

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. 

"Shepherding Yellow TdF25-73" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour Down Under, Stage 6: All Working Together

The early break away finally got established and set about working together to build a three and a half minute lead over the following peloton.  At this point Franck Bonnamour (Decathlon-Ag2r-Mondale) was slipping off the front as the veteran Simon Gerschler (Cofidis) prepares to take over the pace making duties for the seven allies.  Behind Geschke is Jacopo Mosca (Lidl-Trek).  Maurice Ballerstedt (Alpecin-Deceuninck) had finished his turn on front and was sliding to the back to get a bit of rest before rolling through again.  Later Ballerstedt stopped taking turns and just hung onto the back of the group, perhaps feeling the kilometers they had already ridden this week building up in his legs.

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-Down-Under/3996270-202-194179/Painting/all-working-together.-tdu24-25.html

Tour, Stage 10: Bringing Guillaume Back

The saying goes that in the first week or so of the Tour, "You can win the Tour today, but you can lose it."  Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) has been having a great Tour starting the day in third overall on the general classification.  However, he was caught out by a late crash.  Fortunately, it didn't look like he was all that banged up, but he still had a hard chase to rejoin the peloton with 59 kilometers still to race.  Happily, he ended the day tucked in the main group with all of his GC rivals.

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-de-France-2020/3696545-64-282744/Painting/bringing-buillaume-back-tdf20-59.html

Tour, Stage 4: Everybody Working?

Tiesj Benoot (Sunweb) checks over his shoulder as he swings over from his pull on the front of the six man break away.  Benoot may well have been checking to see if anyone was skipping turns at the back of the group.  Behind him, Quentin Pacher (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) prepares to ride through for his turn on the front.  Nils Politt (Israel Start Up Nation) waits in the wings for his turn.  With this kind of shared effort, the break may have a chance of staying away from the peloton.  Not likely, however, since this is the first mountain top finish of this Tour, the earliest in a Tour ever.

Later, Benoot had a frightening crash over a guard rail that busted his bike to pieces, fortunately, he and his bones remained intact.  But that was the end of his day off the front of the race.

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-de-France-2020/3689189-26-282744/Painting/everybody-working-tdf20-20.html

Tour, Stage 10: A Little Testy

Maxime Monfort (Lotto Soudal) was a bit annoyed with Gorka Izaguirre (Astana).  Monfort and others have been doing long pulls at the front of the peloton to keep the break away in check.  When Izaquirre got on the front he may have been there for about eight seconds before flicking his elbow and sliding over.  Monfort's complaint was that if the Astana rider was going to get in the mix, then he should do a real pull.  If he wasn't going to work, then he should go back into the folds of the peloton.  I suspect Izaguirre's response was a less polite Spanish version of "Buzz off!"

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.

Be sure to check out my daily videos on You Tube.  There wil be a video of this painting within the next 24 hours on the You Tube channel.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20de%20France%202019/3360123-50-263530/A%20Little%20Testy%20%20TDF19-50.html

Tour de France Stage 9: Part of the Team

As the television announcers said at the start of the day, the team time trial is all about the team, each rider is only as good as the weakest member.  Chris Froome, while wearing the Maillot Jaune, spent most of the time on the front of the pace line, but never went so hard as to ride any of the team off of his wheel.  Team Sky adapt the double pace line style.  This style has each rider pull off the front and slide down along those waiting their turn on the front.  Each team member spends very little time on the front, which is good.  The down side is that they also have a lot less time to recover before hitting the front again.  The formation looks like a flattened wheel rolling down the road comprised of cyclists.  I personally prefer this variety of pace line to the more conventional, pull as long as you can and then go to the back to recover.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson and Company, www.richesonart.com.  In addition this painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting for only $60 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Don't delay, this is an original work of art, so when it is gone, it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202015/2579682---210122/Painting.html#.VaLYrvlViko

Paris Nice Stage 2: Lifting the Pace

With just under twenty kilometers left to go and the race altogether, Cannondale-Garmin went to the front and lowered the boom.  With a hoped for and yet to be realized cross wind, the team decided to try and shed some sprinters and other pretenders to the overall classification.  Tom Jelte Slagter and the Dutch National Champion Sebastien Langeveld let the rest of the team in a pseudo team time trail, in theory to help out their team leader, Andrew Talansky.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting (for only $50 USD plus shipping) just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

If you are enjoying the artwork and accompanying text, be sure to check out my recently published book of the 2014 Tour de France, Book de Tour - Art of the 101st Tour de France.  You can find it at most any online book seller world wide.  Simply google the title to learn where you can get the book and save on international shipping charges.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2523068---195767/Painting.html#.VP9gO_zF-xU

Tour Down Under Stage 2: Showing the New Colors

The new team of Cannondale-Garmin hit the front of the peloton in force on the final lap around Stirling showing off their new colors and looking for a stage victory to announce their presence in the 2015 ProTour peloton.  The green is certainly bright enough to ensure they won't be missed in the coming months.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is 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.  While you are there, why not browse all of the artwork on offer, cycling themed and otherwise. 

If you are enjoying discovering the story of this race through these paintings, be sure to discover my new book, "Book de Tour - Art of the 101st Tour de France" available online world wide.  Just google the title to discover where you can order your copy free of international shipping charges.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20Down%20Under%202014/2499484---194179/Painting.html#.VL_S5k05DIU

Tour Stage 10: Taking a Pull

With a group of three riders up the road Team Cannondale went to the front of the peloton to help Astana up the tempo.  Cannondale felt that their man, Peter Sagan, could grab more points at the intermediate sprint and then given the profile of today's stage to Oyonnax, he had a could chance of getting that illusive first stage victory.  So far Sagan is proving that to be the most consistent sprinter, one does not ever have to win a stage.  Just as it is possible to win the Maillot Jaune without ever winning a stage over the twenty one days of the Tour.  The title refers to a rider who goes to the front of the pace line, taking his turn with his nose in the wind.  The time out on the front is referred to as a "pull".  Then the other meaning here is that he is taking a pull on (or a drink of) his water bottle.  This is an original small 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 of cycling and art, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to become involved in bringing the 101st Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  If you would like to purchase this painting, follow the direct link at the end of this post.  While you are there, why not take the time to browse around all of the artwork on offer?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2403850---199992/Painting.html#.U8dffM_D_IU

Tour Stage 10: Pulling Their Man Back

Alberto Contador, the team leader for Tinkoff Saxo, had a bad crash on the Col du Platzerwasel.  While the wreck occurred off camera, they can't be everywhere, he apparently hit a rock in the road and went down hard, catching his right leg, destroying his shoe, bike and bloodying his knee.  The first time he as seen by the TV Motos was when the race doctor was bandaging his knee and the team was getting him back onto a replacement bike.  At first he set out alone, but soon he caught up to the team that had waited up the road for him.  No one can turn around and head back down the road, so to be able to help pace Contador, the team either soft pedals or stops to wait for him to come up to them.  He appeared to ride wheel as he set out now joined by Matteo Tosatto, Rafal Majika and Mick Rodgers.  On the other hand, as they crested the top, he had lost another minute on the group of the Maillot Jaune, leaving him four minutes off of the pace.  Not too big of a problem for the Spanish climber to make up, but it pointed to the possibility that he was more hurt than he either knew or was letting on.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  It will be included along with the rest of my paintings of the 101st Tour de France in my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book, to pre order your copy, or to discover how to get involved in bringing the Tour as art to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  There are some great rewards for those who chose to back the project that start at only $5 USD, with an artist signed copy at only $25 USD, and international shipping is available.  If you would like to just purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2402508---199992/Painting.html#.U8SRxs_D_IU

Tour Stage Four: Sliding to the Back

The Team Time Trial works on the principle of drafting, that the rider behind is using 30% less energy than the guy on the front.  So the team will keep rolling off the front, sliding to the back to rest (relatively) until it is their turn to put their nose into the wind again.  BMC is using the single pace line approach where the rider who has pulled off the front slows and goes to the back of the line and then slowly works his way back up to the front as each subsequent rider rolls off.  The other method is the double line, where the front rider immediately rolls of the front, so that it looks like a revolving wheel spinning down the road.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that can be yours at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to buy your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2175209---186227/Painting.html#.Udt_Es_D_IU