Tour Down Under '23, Prologue: Wet Roads

With a rare rain falling during the prologue of the Tour Down Under many faced wet roads and dangerous corners as they raced against the clock in the opening individual time trial.  Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) was one of those who went later in the day, and thus had to go considerably slower than those not splashing throught the streets of Adelaide.  He finished 25th on the day, but that is only 20 seconds behind the first Ochre Jersey of the race.

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-Down-Under/3927868-149-194179/Painting/wet-roads-tdu23-3.html

Tour, Stage 1: Slow It Down!

Several riders had already crashed on the wet twisty roads of the Alpes Maritime. Others had been trying to get the peloton to slow it down when Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) came up to Omar Fraille (Astana) he shouldn't have got any complaint, and yet he did.  Fraille's pace had seen his own team leader slide off the road and into a sign on the treacherous, wet descent.  Fortunately Miguel Angel Lopez did not seem to be hurt, but his bike was left in pieces.  From here until the flat lands with just 15 kilometers to race, calm and safety took over the mindset of the peloton.  Although there will still crashes, with an important one coming with just under three kilometers to race. 

It will be interesting to see who handle their crashes best as tomorrow will be the earliest mountain stage in decades.  Sore muscles, bad road rashes, and low morale could lose someone the Tour on just the second stage of the race.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France-2020/3683793-4-282744/Painting/slow-down-tdf20-4.html

Giro, Stage 8: Having to Chase

With the rains pouring down the mountain side, the peloton could be somewhat happy that they didn't have to race down the mountain.  But that didn't mean that there wasn't risk in the hairpin turns just the same.  A number of riders went down in a corner, most notably Chris Froome (Sky) and his teammate Wout Poels.  Waiting just ahead is Sky armada, David De La Cruz.  Froome was able to rejoin the peloton, but lost a few more seconds against some of his GC rivals.  Even before the 101st Giro d'Italia started, Froome crashed in a training run of the TT course back in Jerusalem.  Nothing serious, but he just seems not to be laser focused for this race.  But then he has been having some distracting issues off of the bike involving the inhaler for his asthma.  But then, it is early days yet.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available though my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Since it is an original it is first come first served.  The painting was created using Yarka St Petersburg watercolors from Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 plus shipping. And yes, international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/101st-Giro-dItalia/3162090-34-249297/PaintingForced-to-Chase--G18-34.html

Paris Nice Stage 2 In All Kinds of Weather

The peloton is sure hoping the nick name of Paris Nice - The Race to the Sun - proves true  It was difficult to tell which was the road and which was the water filled gully along the road's edge  With the strength of the quintet up the road even Team Sky put a man on the front - Michal Golas  Adding to their will to ride as fast as they can was one of the main contenters - Richie Porte (BMC) was a good four minutes behind the peloton  Haimar Zubeldia (Trek Segafredo) waits in the wings to add to his "protected man" Alberto Contador  I am sure the Spaniard welcomes the chance to put minutes between himself and one of his rivals

I apologize for the lack of punctuation but the gremlins are still denying me periods commas semi-colons and question marks  Perhaps I will devise a work around before the race reaches the Mediterranean Sea

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2930014-342-195767/PaintingIn%20All%20Kinds%20of%20Weather.html#.WL4jvvkrLIU

La Course: Racing for Home

Rabo-Liv had the perfect tactical advantage on the final lap of La Course.  They had the Dutch National Time Trial Champion, Anna Van Der Breggen, holding off the entire peloton 15 seconds ahead.  This move forced the other teams to do the chasing allowing the team to sit in and save their energy for getting their leader, World Champion Pauline Ferraud Prevot to the line in her homeland capital.  Another advantage for them is should the others not manage to catch Van Der Breggen before the line, then they still win the day.

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 $50n 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/2586122-10-207546/Painting.html#.VbUjT_lViko

Binche-Chimay-Binche: What's Left of the Peloton

With just 18 kilometers left to race the peloton vacillated between riding hard and looking around.  The end of the season long, wet race in the strong crosswinds left a very small peloton trying to figure out if they had the legs to chase down the break.  Strung out behind the diminished peloton is the ever present convoy of race officials, team cars, medics and then far, far behind, the broom wagon.  This is a small watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2449124---195767/Painting.html#.VDYM-s_D_IU

Tour Stage 19: In the Spray

There are so many complications when the skies open up on the peloton.  For the riders the rain brings dangers roads where a slick painted line on the road can leave you sliding butt first across the road or the grit that has washed onto the tarmac can send slivers into your tires leaving you with a flat and a hard chase back onto the peloton after a wheel change.  And then there is the misery of 5 hours of wet feet, cold and the constant spray of dirty ditch water being sprayed up into your face from the bikes, motorcycles and support vehicles that form the modern peloton.  For those of us who are covering the race or watching as avid fans, with race capes that cover numbers, it can be very difficult to tell who is who, or even what team the riders are on.  Race organizers have attached transponders to the cyclist's bikes, but even that method fails when a rider has to have a bike change.  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 art 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 become a part of bringing this Tour to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some excellent rewards for those who choose to pledge their support, but do hurry the funding period ends on the 4th of August.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408444---199992/Painting.html#.U9My9MvD_IU

Tour Stage 19: A Little Bit of Advice

Arnaud Gerard (Bretagne-Seche) slipped to the back of the small group that was off the front of the peloton by over three minutes to chat with his Team Director.  By the hand gestures that were coming from behind the steering wheel, it seemed to be a discussion about the dangers of the course that lay ahead.  The group would soon be getting to the outskirts of Bergerac and the wet roads would make for some slippery roundabouts and 90 degree turns as the riders came to the end of a 208.5 kilometer slough through drizzle, wet roads and thunderstorms.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website, www.greigleach.com and will be included in my soon to be self published complete collection of my paintings of the 101st Tour de France, "Book de Tour."  To learn more about the book project, to pre order your copy, or to discover how you can become a part of bringing this art of cycling to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some fabulous Backer Rewards for those who choose to pledge to the Kickstarter "Book de Tour" project for as little as $5 USD.  Every level of support will get your name printed 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 a copy of the book that this painting will be included in as well?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2408442---199992/Painting.html#.U9Muis_D_IU

Tour Stage 5: It's About Gaining Seconds

With riders sliding all over the course, Andrew Talansky (Garmin Sharp) included, the end of the stage became all about trying to gain time on one's rivals.  Talansky may have lost time against the Astana trio, he gained seconds on most of the other GC men.  You can just see Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte (Team Sky) rounding the corner ahead of the Garmin leader.  I am very impressed with Team Sky's response to Froome's abandonment of the Tour, whether it had been a contingency set in place before the start of the race, or a mid race gut reaction, the team immediately rallied around Porte as their new team leader and "protected man".  At the end of the day only Nibali's teammate was able to maintain the two second deficit to the Yellow jersey with Talansky, Kwiatkowski, Bardet and van Garderen suffering the least amount of time damage in the stage.  It was Alberto Contador who lost the most on the surprising Italian National Champion, Nibali.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting will be included in my soon to be self published "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, pre-order your copy or discover how to become involved in bringing this art of this Tour de France to print, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  There are some great incentive rewards for those who choose to become a backer of the "Book de Tour" through the Kickstarter site.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Tour Stage 5: Not Again!

Chris Froome (Team Sky) was living a very unpleasant deja vu, hitting the pavement hard early in the stage, repeating his early crash in Stage 4.  The peloton woke up to driving rain, fearing the treachery of  seven, wet, muddy sections of pave.  Froome was on the surface of the road long before the peloton got to even the first section of washboard like road surface. Like yesterday, Froome was near the front of the peloton when he was caught out by a sharp change of direction from another rider.  This time the rider was avoiding a road construction barrier.  It was near poetry in motion to watch the smooth hand over of a new bike from Sky's race mechanic.  Several riders went down in the crash, you can see a guy from Team Cannondale getting a push from his mechanic.  This is a small original  watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website.  It will be included in my soon to be self published tome, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, or pre-order your copy, and to learn how you can get involved in bringing the 101st Tour de France to print visit If you like that, check out my "Book de Tour" project. Please share it if you like it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  If you would like to purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2399232---199992/Painting.html#.U72pxMvD_IU

Giro d'Italia Stage 17: Slow It Down

With a break away up the road by 14 minutes and none of the members of that group within a half hour of Nairo Quintana's (Movistar) time, the peloton just let them run.  Back in the group with Movistar on the front of the peloton, they warned every one to slow down on the wet descent off of the Ca' del Poggio.  I am sure these men have had enough of slippery wet roads, crashes and road rash.  With no need to ride hard, there was no reason to risk anything on the twisting descent.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  For this particular painting you can follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Giro%20d'Italia%202014/2371838---198213/Painting.html#.U4bEic_D_IU

Tour Stage Seventeen: Carefully

Sylvain Chavanel, the five time French National Time Trial Champion, had the misfortune of being on one of the two descents when a little down pour dampened the roads making the corners treacherous.  In two of the corners prior to this one he had his rear wheel slide out from under him, unlike others, he was able to keep himself upright and pretty much at speed.  But he had to back off of his charge to the valley and the finish, and was unable to post a competitive time.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 100th Tour de France.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202013/2183165---186227/Painting.html#.Ue9Jlc_D_IU