Tour '22, Stage 20: Tunnel Vision

This is the third title today that was just fun for me to come up with.  Sometimes I paint the image because what I see inspires the title.  The obvious take is that there is a tunnel in Geraint Thomas' (Ineos-Grenadiers) field of vision within the final two kilometers of this stage.  Thomas was second at the line, but dropped to fourth on the day as the two behind him finished ahead of him.  Another way to look at the title is that it takes an incredible focus to ride a successful time trial, one needs to quiet the mind, ignore the body, and stay dialed in on the road ahead.  Finally, I need to have tunnel vision to be able to focus on the Tour for three weeks and be able to create compelling watercolors that tell the story of this race I love so much.  This year it will take even more focus as I start painting the Tour de France Femmes tomorrow just ahead of the men finishing on the Champs Elysees. Wish me luck, I am feeling like a sprinter facing a second mountain top finish in the Pyrennes.

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. 

If you can't afford to purchase a piece you could always help keep me going by buying me a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/greigsartc.  And check out my vlogs at my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGX-TnjXDSkkOidUE6pN1g

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2022/3895459-133-294403/Painting/tunnel-vision-tdf22-134.html  

Tour Stage 14: Leading Them Out

Stage 14 took the peloton and this break away  through some stunning scenery in the high mountains outside of Grenoble.  The day started with another large break away, all with hopes that the GC men would be more interested in each other than worrying about a stage win.  With more than half of the teams in the Tour represented in the break, it was a relatively save bet that the guys on the front were in with a chance.  The only man who was here that was sure to drop off on the fabled climb of the Col d'Izoard, was the Green Jersey of Peter Sagan.  With an early intermediate sprint, he was in the break to capture maximum points towards holding the Maillot Vert on the podium in Paris.  He now has more than twice the points of Bryan Coquard and nearly his total from last year's Tour de France.  The group was lead out of the many tunnels of these Alpine roads by Jose Serpa (Lampre-Merida), Simon Yates (Orica GreenEdge) who is the youngest remaining rider in the Tour, along with Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale) and Rein Taaramae (Cofidis).  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, www.richesonart.com.  The painting is also available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com, and it will appear in my soon to be self published, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order your copy, or to discover how you can get involved in helping to bring the art of the 101st Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some excellent Backer rewards including an artist signed copy, original artwork, pins, postcards and all starting for as little as $5 USD.  Absolutely everyone who backs the project at any level will have their name included in print on the special thanks page of the book.  If you would like to purchase this particular painting, please follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2405246-105-102-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U8vX_M_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 1: Tunnel Vision

Today's Time Trial through the heart of Lyon included a multi use tunnel under a hill side in the center of town.  The tunnel includes bike lanes (trust the Europeans to include this in their design) and to keep the cyclists visually entertained, the walls are used as video projection surfaces with a wide variety of light shows, video animation and changing colored lighting to amuse even the slowest moving cyclist.  David Miller (Garmin Sharp) had a different sort of tunnel vision has he focused on the task of hand, getting around the 10 kilometer course in as short of a time as humanly possible.  I doubt he even registered the visual entertainment as he speed through the tunnel at 40 kph.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available in a quick 3 day auction on ebay.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to bid on your piece of the 66th Criterium du Dauphine.  Do hurry, it is a very quick auction.

This painting is sold.