La Course: Taming the Champs Elysees

When the peloton still hadn't caught the lone rider it inspired them to take even bigger risks through the final corners of the race.  Unfortunately, those risks let to a crash that claimed sprinters and lead out trains alike.  The disruption may have been that extra advantaged that allowed the lone figure off the front, Anna Van Der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) to hold off the charging peloton and claim victory on the cobbled Champs Elysees.  Rabobank had gotten frustrated with the doping scandals in men's professional cycling back around the turn of the century, eventually pulling all sponsorships from the male side of the sport.  They have stayed in women's cycling and were rewarded yet again as their logo will be on newspapers all over the world.  I will let you take your own conclusions about their use of their sponsorship dollars.

This is an original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from Jack Richeson & 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 $50 USD, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  As this is an original painting, don't hesitate, once it is sold it is gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Professional%20Womens%20Cycling/2586133-11-207546/Painting.html#.VbUmz_lViko

Tour Final Stage: Safely Home

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) safely crossed the line in the peloton, the rider who had barely put a pedal wrong through the 21 days of the Tour de France had successfully negotiated the final obstacle, the pave of the Champs Elysees, to achieving his dominate win of the Tour de France.  He now joins a very short list of Italians who have won the Tour, and a only slightly longer list of those who have won all three of the Grand Tours.  There are many who discredit his win, claiming that if those who had crashed out were here, then things would have been different.  But the Tour de France is a hard race that must be survived as well as raced.  Nibali stayed upright, other did not, Nibali was fast up the mountains, others were not, and Nibali flew around the final Time Trial, and yet again others did not.  So it is with great relief that he was shepherded across the final finishing line in Paris by his teammates, with the Maillot Jaune firmly on his shoulders.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  The painting along with all of my artwork of the 101st Tour de France will be included in my soon to be self published tome, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can be a part of bringing this Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some fabulous rewards for those who choose to back the book, including artist signed copies, original art, printed postcards and even a few copies signed by Vincenzo Nibali himself.  Everyone who contributes will have their name in print on the Special Thanks page of the book.  To purchase this painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post, but wouldn't you like to have all of the paintings in a book as well?  Sure you would!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2409046---199992/Painting.html#.U9W2Z8vD_IU