Showing posts with label watercolors of the Tour Down Under. Show all posts
Showing posts with label watercolors of the Tour Down Under. Show all posts

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 5: The Best Defense


As the peloton hit the bottom of Willunga Hill for the final time, it was Javier Romo (Movistar) in his Ochre Jersey who jumped free of the peloton.  Most everyone expected him to follow the attacks of others, so it was a strategic move to attack his closest rivals instead.  At first, he opened up a couple of seconds before those behind could get themselves organized.  Given how close the top positions on the general classifications were, it was understood that whoever reached the summit first would most likely win the twenty-fifth Tour Down Under. 

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.

"The Best Defense TDU25-40" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 5: Chase Mode


After an extended period of pace setting by Picnic-PostNL, with thirty-eight kilometers to race, it was time for the peloton to get serious about chasing down the breakaway.  Once UAE Team Emirates and Movistar joined in, the break's advantage dropped by a minute in under ten kilometers.  The peloton wanted to have the escapees back in the group before the first climb up the fabled Willunga Hill.  

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.

"Chase Mode TDU25-39" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 5: Retaliation


It was a rather clever (and a bit mean spirited) move by the drop quartet when they caught back up to those who attacked them on the climb of Wickham Hill.  Lead by Michael Hepburn (Jayco-Alula), Oliver Bleddyn (ARA Australian Cycling), Pascal Eenkhoorn (Soudal-Quick Step), and Ben Swift (Ineos-Grenadiers), caught the two leaders at full speed.  Rather than warning the others of their approach, they chose instead to sprint pass them giving the first attackers no chance of catching their wheels.  The plan worked to perfection.  Neither Torres nor Lopez were never able to rejoin their erstwhile companions, and eventually sat up to wait for the peloton.  Once those two were gone, the peloton dropped the hard chase giving these four up to a four minute advantage.

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.

"Retaliation TDU25-38" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 5: Using the First Climb


These two, Pablo Torres (UAE Team Emirates) and Juan Pedro Lopez (Lidl-Trek) used the first climb of the stage to attack their erstwhile breakaway companions.  The two were the best place in the general classification of the break, particularly Torres who started the day just twenty-five seconds off the lead.  Lopez used the climb up Wickham Hill to try and drop Torres in hopes that the peloton would stop trying to chase them all down.  Of course, Lopez wasn't much further down the GC, so he, too, was a target for the chasing peloton.

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.

"Using the First Climb TDU25-37" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Friday, January 24, 2025

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 4: A Sprinter's Line


It is a treat to watch a seasoned sprinter get it right.  Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) looked to be too far back as both Ineos-Grenadiers and Groupama-FDJ led the peloton to have a chance at victory.  As the lead outs started with 500 meters to go, the French sprinter pop out of the slipstream and charged to the line.  Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) chased hard to take second despite Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates) complaining he had his sprint interfered with.  He hadn't, he had just sprinted too close to the barriers.  Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to a respectable fourth in Victor Harbor.

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 Sprinter's Line TDU25-36" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 4: Covering the Moves


Javier Romo (Movistar) wasn't leaving anything to chance.  He had a list of guys he wasn't going to let escape.  He was covering most everything, but when Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek) went he made sure he was on the Austrian's wheel.  Konrad started the day sitting in third overall, just ten seconds off of Romo's lead.  They did finish the day in the same positions on the general classification.  And they still had just ten seconds between them.

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.

"Covering the Moves TDU25-35" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 4: Showing His Colors


It was nice to see Natnael Tesfazion (Movistar) pop out of the peloton as he went after the two guys up the road.  I'm not sure how his move helped his team leader, Javier Romo, in the Ochre Jersey.  It could have been just as simple as he wanted to make sure that the TV audience saw his Eritrean Champion's jersey.  It has been fun watching so many Eritrean cyclists making an impact on the pro peloton over the last couple of years.  Less than a kilometer later, he was back into the folds of the peloton, so it may well have been just a move to show off his national colors.

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.

"Showing His Colors TDU25-34" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 4: A Swift Swiss


It was the Swiss Champion Mauro Schmid (Jayco-Alula) who jumped out of the breakaway to claim the first intermediate sprint in Snapper Point.  William Junior Lecerf (Soudal-Quick Step) gave the champion a run for his money, but in the end wasn't able to come around Schmid.  After the sprint, the break rejoined and got on with their likely vain effort to win the 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 $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"A Swift Swiss TDU25-32" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 3: Not Only the Stage


With the title, you know that Javier Romo (Movistar) didn't just win the stage, but he also is the new Ochre Jersey in the Tour Down Under.  He had started the day sitting in 99th place but had the belief to attack in the closing kilometers.  Of course, he also had the legs to back up his faith in himself.  He held off the peloton, winning the stage by five seconds.  You can just see the rest of the reduced peloton just coming into view.  Along with those seconds, he also got a ten second time bonus for winning the stage.   He now has an eight second lead, but that is not much considering that the guy siding in 20th is just thirty seconds off the pace.

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.

"Not Only the Stage TDU25-31" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 3: Did I Lose Them?


Javier Romo (Movistar) got a great jump on the peloton in the closing kilometers.  Others tried to chase him down but just couldn't get themselves organized.  Perhaps they didn't want to go too deep into their reserves assuming that Romo would be back in the fold soon and then they would have the energy to launch their own winning move.  I feel the Romo must have been surprised to look back on this small rise to see open road when he glanced back with just four kilometers to race.  After this rise, it is all downhill to the line in Uraidla, so he definitely has a chance for the stage victory.

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.

"Did I Lose Them? TDU25-30" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 3: Surfing the Tail of the Peloton


I believe that Phil Liggett was getting genuinely upset with Luke Plapp (Jayco-Alula).  Every time he appeared on camera on the back of the peloton Phil would talk about how unwise and potential unsafe it was.  And he mused about how much extra energy it took for him to move up to the front when things got aggressive at the other pointy end of the peloton.  It wasn't long after I painted this that the road went uphill, and Plapp moved right to the front of the peloton.  I don't think the same could be said for Jesus Herrada (Cofidis).  The veteran is a great climber, but I think he doesn't enjoy going downhill in a big group.

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 Tail of the Peloton TDU25-29" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 3: Getting More


After the first climb, Fergus Browning (ARA Australian Cycling) erstwhile companion dropped back to the peloton leaving the Polka Dot Jersey off on his own.  As he started up the Knott Hill climb he was joined by Geoffrey Bouchard (Decathlon-Ag2r-La Mondiale).  Happily, for Browning, he went over the climb first unchallenged by the Frenchman.  It is still mathematically possible for someone to take the jersey off of the young Australian, but it is beginning to seem highly unlikely.

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.

"Getting More TDU25-28" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 3: All But One


Stage 3 started climbing right after the flag drop to start the race.  After a few attempts at a breakaway, Conor Swift (Ineos-Grenadiers) finally dropped everyone on his way up the Ashton climb.  To his surprise, he was chased down by Fergus Browning (ARA Australian Cycling) in his Etex King of the Mountains jersey.  He went over this climb first with little resistance from Swift.  By going over this climb first, it means that he has been first over every climb but one thus far in the 25th Tour Down Under.  It sure looks like no one will be able to take the polka dot jersey off this young Australian.

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.

"All But One TDU25-27" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 2: Not Loving the Climb


It was a little strange to see the former winner of the Tour de France being dropped by the peloton on the final climb of Mengler Hill.  To be fair, Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers) had been driving the pace on the front of the peloton to keep his teammates well positioned before the turn onto the climb.  Just ahead two riders, one from Alpecin-Decuninck and another from Intermache-Wanty were losing touch with the main peloton as well.  According to Phil Liggett, Thomas finished dead last in the opening stage of the 25th Tour Down Under, as well.

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.

"Not Loving the Climb TDU25-24" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 2: Sprinting Shoulder to Shoulder


As the breakaway rolled into Greenok and the intermediate sprint, both Georg Zimmermann (Intermache-Wanty) and Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek) sprinted hard to the line.  It looked like Zimmermann had it, but Konrad found a final kick to take the maximum bonus seconds.  Having been allowed to get the maximum KOM points, Fergus Browning (ARA Australian Cycling) left the sprinting to his fellow escapees.  When they came back around to the second intermediate sprint, the pair flipped their finishing positions.   With their two first and second places the two moved themselves up to fourth and fifth in the overall general classification.  Whereas Browning may have locked up the KOM competition after just two stages.  Not a bad day out for the early breakaway today.

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.

"Sprinting Shoulder to Shoulder TDU25-23" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 1: A Clean Set of Wheels


Just because he was the expected favorite to take the stage didn't mean Sam Welsford (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) wasn't going to do what he does best.  And he did it with a such an obvious advantage.  With his victory, he becomes the first to wear the Ochre Jersey of race leader.  He also is the owner of the Blue Jersey of the best sprinter.  Moving into second in the sprint but not the general classification is Stephen Mathew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike).  While Mathew Walls (Groupama-FDJ) took third in the sprint, yet he does sits behind Brennan in fifth.  The two members of the early break away had earned enough bonus seconds to move into second and third.

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 Clean Set of Wheels TDU25-21-" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 1: The First King Down Under


The two guys from ARA Australian Cycling were still off the front of the peloton as they went over the final categorized climb of the stage.  As they had every climb before, Fergus Browning led his teammate Zacharie Marriage over the summit collecting the maximum King of the Mountain points every time.  By so doing, he becomes the first to wear the Polka Dot Jersey of this Tour Down Under.  There is some symmetry with the women's TDU, with the first Queen of the Mountains going to a member of the women's ARA Australian Cycling Team.  With another thirty kilometers to race and the peloton just over a minute behind, it is very doubtful that they will still be off the front much longer.  Still, it was well worth the effort.

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. 

"The First King Down Under TDU25-20" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 1: The First to Get Away


Zachaire Marriage (ARA Australian Cycling) and his teammate Fergus Browning, along with Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale) were the three to get away.  As in the women's race, it was the Australian national team that was lighting up the race.  The trio went through the first King of the Mountain climb without contesting the points on offer.  As they crested the climb to Kangaroo Creek Reservoir, it was Browning who grabbed the most points towards the Polka Dot Jersey of the best climber in the race.  It seems like Browning and Marriage had some sort of agreement about who would pull on the first KOM jersey.  After the first sprint, which Tronchon claimed and the three second time bonus that came with it, the Frenchman fist bumped the Aussies and drifted back to the peloton who were three and a half minutes back down the road.

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. 

"The First to Get Away TDU25-18" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Men's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 1: Starting Them Off


After twelve kilometers of the neutral start usually set up to get the peloton safely out of downtown starts, the race director will pop out of the director's car and wave the flag to start each stage.  Today, Stuart O'Grady started the 25th Tour Down Under with the wave of an ochre flag.  All of the peloton was lined up ready to attack as soon as his vehicle pulled out of the way to let the race begin.  O'Grady was a former racer who has raced the Tour Down Under five times winning numerous stages himself.

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. 

"Starting Them Off TDU25-17" (Original art by Greig Leach) 

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Women's Tour Down Under '25, Stage 3: Once and Final Queen


Having lost her Queen of the Mountains Jersey in stage two when she was out sprinted by Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ), Alyssa Polites (ARA Australian Cycling) made sure she had the legs to get over the Stirling Climb first.  With that sprint, she has two points over the Polish Champion to claim the final polka dot jersey of this Tour Down Under.  Wlodarczyk now changes her focus on trying move up one placing in the general classification to grab the final step of the final podium.  Spoiler, she didn't make it.

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.

"Once and Final Queen TDU25-14" (Original art by Greig Leach)