Koksijde, Men's Cyclo-Cross: Surfing the Sand

Every sport has its own jargon, and cyclo-cross is no different.  Today I learned that there is such a thing as 'surfing the sand.'  It means to ride relaxed when in the deep sand.  The trick (apparently) is to keep one's speed up and to not fight the bike too much.  Today in the early laps, Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was giving a master class to the master of sand behind him, Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Corendon).  However, Sweeck soon came back and eventually won today's race in Koksijde, with del Grosso finishing the day in second place.  I believe each man had their best finish thus far this season.

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.

"Surfing the Sand CX-K25-5" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Men's Cyclo-Cross: A Slight Advantage

The young Dutchman Tibor del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was having an incredible race against one of the masters in the sand, Laurens Sweeck (Crelan-Cortendon).  While they were only into the second lap, he had built up a ten second lead over the man nicknamed "the Sandman."  Surprisingly, not only was he putting time into the more experienced Belgium in the sand, he was also doing it on the harder mud packed surfaces of the course.  

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.

"A Slight Advantage CX-K25-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Koksijde, Women's Cyclo-Cross: Sand Pit

I've been stuck at home nursing my first bout of Covid and have gotten into watching Cyclo Cross.  It took me a couple of races, but I am really starting to get into it.  However, watching the pros race, I have decided that it would be foolish for me to give it a go after all.  I figured, if I am watching, I might as well paint the racing, too.

This is the Women's Koksijde race in the extreme north of Belgium that features sand dunes as the major challenge to the riders.  This is the second dune the peloton faced and is being led by Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon) who is just about to remount at the top of the climb.  Behind her, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) is taking her last steps before swinging her bike off her back and back under her for the descent.

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.

"Sand Pit CX-K25-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)