Tour '26, Stage 12: Alone, Again

Not to be deterred, Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarche) went off the front alone in yet another sprint stage.  He went through the intermediate sprint in Saint Pourcain sur Sioule with only race vehicles for company.  The fans may have been a bit disappointed not to see a mad sprint for the line, but that came later when the peloton arrived sprinting for the remaining sprint points on offer.  With these breakaway efforts Veistroffer is now in 14th place in the hunt for the Maillot Vert.  He is a bit further back in 19th place in the race for the Maillot a Pois.  It is highly unlikely he will wear either at the finale in Paris.  I feel it is equally unlikely that he will still be off the front at the end of this stage in Chalon sur Saone either.

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: "Alone, Again TdF26-79" (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

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '26, Stage 8: Inside of Two Kilometers

After going under the two kilometers banner Liam Stock (Lotto-Intermarche) looked back to see the peloton rounding the corner a mere ten seconds behind him.  The conventional theory is that the breakaway needs a minute's advantage for every ten kilometers left to race.  By that formula, Stock is right on the very edge of being able to make it to the finish line in Bergerac before being caught by the peloton.  Even before he got to the final kilometer flame rouge, he knew the catch was nigh and sat up in surrender to the inevitable. The catch translates to him having been off the front for 179 kilometers of an 180-kilometer stage. 

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: "Inside of Two Kilometers TdF26-56" (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

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '26, Stage 8: Holding Off the Peloton

Liam Stock (Lotto-Intermarche) had been attacked on the climb of the Cote du Buissen de Cadovia.  He countered and dropped his attacker over the summit.  Once he was free of his erstwhile companions he decided to see if he could get the surprise on the sprint team led peloton.  At seventeen kilometers to race he still had a minute and twenty-one seconds on those behind.  Of course, those off the front tend to have quite a caravan of race official vehicles, his team car, and a neutral service car as well.  With over a minute to the chasers all these vehicles were still allowed to be behind the leader on the stage.  Once it drops below a minute, everyone except a neutral service moto and perhaps a TV moto are allowed in the gap.  

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: "Holding Off the Peloton TdF26-55" (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

Learn More About the Artist →  

Tour '26, Stage 6: Even the Devil Is a Fan

This is the second time I was able to see Didi Stenft (aka The Devil) at this Tour.  And it is the second day I've noticed that he was standing on something to get a better view of the race as it goes by.  Time was he would leap high in the air, but perhaps age is finally catching up to this wonderful fixture of the Tour de France.  After all, I have been painting him since I started painting the Grand Boucle back in 2012. Clearly, he is fourteen years older than when I first spied him on the side of the road leaping with the joy of the Tour.  He cheered enthusiastically as Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) flew by on his way to a very decisive stage victory.  Is it the move that will win him his fifth Tour de France?  Only time... and fifteen more stages will tell.

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: "Even the Devil Is a Fan TdF26-45" (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

Learn More About the Artist →   

Tour '26, Stage 5: Going It Alone

I am quite sure Baptiste Veistoffer (Lotto-Intermarche) had hoped someone would come with him when he jumped out of the peloton at kilometer Zero.  Alas, no one did.  He had no real option but to press on after no one bridge up to him.  He has gone on a solo attack for a complete stage, and won, in a race before.  But this is the Tour de France and this stage was one for the sprinters.  I doubt they will let him pull that off today.  Spoiler: They didn't.  He was caught with about seventeen kilometers left to race, meaning he had ridden on his own for roughly a hundred miles.  Chapeau!

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: "Going It Alone TdF26-31" (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

Learn More About the Artist → 

Tour '26, Stage 3: Shaking a Leg

I couldn't resist this painting for multiple reasons.  First, is that I am someone who suffers from leg cramps both on and off the bike, so I sympathized with Alex Baudin's (EF Education-EasyPost) pain.  Then it was the play on the phrase 'shake a leg' which usually means to hurry up.  And hurry up is certainly what Baudin needed to do as the peloton continued to draw even closer to his rear wheel.  He has spent at least eighty kilometers off in the breakaway and now with just seventeen kilometers to race the peloton was just twenty-three seconds behind him.  At one point he was the virtual leader on the road, but now he will have to content himself with claiming the third Maillot a Pois of this Tour.  

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: "Shaking a Leg TdF26-21" (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

Learn More About the Artist → 

Tour '25, Stage 6: He Has Made His Deal

The title is a bit of a play with the idea of making a deal with the Devil to get what you want.  Naturally, I am not assuming that Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) had made a deal with Didi Stenft, the Devil of the Tour, but he was riding out of his skin on his way to winning Stage 6 of the Tour de France.  He does have another thirty-three kilometers to race, but he is gaining time on those chasing behind.  It is nice to see the Devil in his more natural environment after seeing him behind the barriers in yesterday's time trial.

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. 

"He Made His Deal TdF25-36" (Original art by Greig Leach)

This painting has sold!