Tour of Britain Stage 7: One More Bottle

Each team has a couple of team cars that follow the race, one out front with their man in the break and another in the caravan behind the peloton.  If one of their riders drops off, they are left to be assisted by a neutral service vehicle.  This is Laborie who rides for the French team, Sojasun, one of the four men in the break of the day.  With no real mountain points on offer today, it is the first road stage that did not feature Angel Madrazo.  Instead Laborie was accompanied by House, Willians and Euser in a group bid to surprise the sprinter's teams and sneak out a stage win.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using cake watercolors, brushes and paper from www.richesonart.com  In addition, this work is available at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2214823---189075/Painting.html#.Uj_E9c_D_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 6: Leaving Them All Behind

With attack after attack coming in the final two kilometers on the climb up to the finish it was anyone's guess to who would have the legs to make it first across the line.  Such marquee climbers as Dan Martin and Nairo Quintana ran out of gas when Team Sky send Lopez off for stage glory, but it was the local boy, Simon Yates that had the legs to go the distance on stage 6 in the county of Devon.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.  Why you are their (or here) you can see all of my work from this season of racing including the Giro d'Italia, Criterium du Dauphine, the Tour de France, and the US Pro Challenge?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2214643---189075/Painting.html#.Uj-QyM_D_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 6: Jumping Out

With the break caught and the peloton making the final ascent of the day it was time to try one's legs and go on the attack in sure of a stage victory.  It was first Stefano Pirazzi, hoping to pay back the team's hard work and then the attacking Irishman, Dan Martin launching a very aggressive dig.  Notice the two guys on the motorcycle, the one standing on the back is one of the intrepid TV camera men that bring the story of the race in such fine vivid detail.  And they do it all hanging on to their driver at speeds as high as 100 kph and on the climbs so slow that they can barely keep the bike upright.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that can be yours by visiting my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2214629---189075/Painting.html#.Uj-OF8_D_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 6: Bardiani Leads the Chase

Team Bardiani has been having some great success with their attacks and the strength of their climbers in the Tour of Britain, so it was the team that came to the front to help chase down the break.  Team Sky kept a close eye on things but had no need to bring anyone in the break to heel, so if anyone not in the break wanted the stage they needed to do the work.  Apparently, Bardiani wanted it more than anyone else, or at least was the most willing to do the work.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available through my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.  While you are there, why not look around at all of the art that is available, maybe even something that doesn't center on cycling?

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2214607---189075/Painting.html#.Uj-K7s_D_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 6: Three Climbers

Angel Madrazo worked hard today to keep hold of the Skoda King of the Mountains jersey taking first place over all but the last climb to pretty much ensure that he will be wearing it at the end of the final stage in London.  Modrazo, Liam Holohan and Martin Velits dropped their break compatriots on the penultimate climb of the day hoping to reach the foot of the final climb ahead of the charging peloton.  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 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2214601---189075/Painting.html#.Uj-IFs_D_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 6: Two Minutes to the Good

The Tour of Britain has had a break up the road in every road stage of the race and Angel Madrazo has been there every time including today.  One of the hold overs from the days before race radios is the time keepers chalkboard.  A motorcycle goes between each of the groups on the road informing them of the time gaps between the peloton the break and any chasing groups in between.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using cake watercolors, brushes and paper from www.richesonart.com a great family run art supply business.  In addition, this work is available through my artist website, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2214451-15-12-189075/Painting/Sports.html#.Uj9Tjc_D_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 5: Full On

Even with a double climb of Caerphilly Mountain, it was a rather large group that came to the line together in the center of town.  However the climbs at shucked all of the marquee sprinters leaving the climbers and GC men to fight it out to the line.  Ultimately it was another rider from the UK, Sam Bennett of AN Post-Chainreaction that had the power to get past all of the others charging to the line.  The Moviestar rider on the right is none other than the Colombian climber, Nairo Quintana.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available through my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2213457---189075/Painting.html#.UjyNnMvD_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 5: What Is the Gap?

The heroic climber of the Tour de France, Nairo Quintana, showed his colors today on the Caerphilly Mountain climb, jumping away from the Team Sky led peloton on the first of two ascents of the mountain.  Only Bongiorno of Team Bardiani was able to match his acceleration, although many others tried in vain.  As with all attacks, the aggressor takes a quick look behind to see just who came along and just how successful the effort has been.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available at my artist website.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2213439---189075/Painting.html#.UjyK48vD_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 5: Swinging Off

The title of the post and painting comes from the technique of collaborative drafting.  Each rider in this break is sharing the effort of staying away from the peloton.  So each rider will go to the front and pull a turn in the wind, after a short turn they will then swing of the front and slot back in behind the others.  Once on the end of the line, he can recover just a bit before it is his turn to be back out front.  Here, Jacob Rathe, has just swung off putting, Angel Madrazo on the front as they fly past the council flats of Caerphilly and the final climb of the day.  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 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2213433---189075/Painting.html#.UjyIWsvD_IU

Tour of Britain Stage 5: Let's Go Faster

Angel Madrazo put himself into his fourth breakaway of four road stages in the Tour of Britain as he continues to secure the King of the Mountain jersey.  One of the effects of drafting is that the shelter riders uses about 30% less energy than the guy with his nose in the wind, so on a pedaling descent the first in line cannot go as fast as those behind.  Madrazo is anxious to keep the break's speed up so gives a helping push to Stefano Pirazzi all in an effort to stay out in front of the peloton.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using cake watercolors, brushes and paper from www.richesonart.com   I highly recommend them, they are a family run business creating and marketing a wide variety of excellent artist's supplies.  Also, this piece is available from my artist website, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 2013 Tour of Britain.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20of%20Britain/2213425-11-6-189075/Painting/Sports.html#.UjyGPMvD_IU