Paris-Nice Final Stage: Out of the Saddle, Dancing on the Pedals

No sooner than the peloton was all back together than the attacks started up.  One of the first to go was Frank Schleck of Trek Factory Racing who was quickly joined by Edvardo Sepulveda of Team Bretagne.  Bretagne really raced hard in Paris Nice certainly proving them a wise choice for on of the wildcard slots.  This attack was well timed coming just before the crest of the Col d'Eze allowing the pair to start the descent on their own.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that can be yours by visiting my artist website, www.greigleach.com or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Final Stage: Catching the Last One

With only one climb left in Paris Nice the peloton was in no mood to let any break steal their thunder so they sucked up the last of the early break on the lower slopes of the Col d'Eze.  The last one to be picked up by the AG2R led peloton was Yuri Trofimov (Katusha).  It must be heart breaking to have been out in the lead for 100 kilometers only to be caught with only 30 K to go.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website, www.greigleach.com or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Final Stage: Beauty Surrounds Them

After cresting the Cote de Peille, the peloton skirted along the coastal highlands winding through some of the most beautiful roads and vistas of the South of France.  For the riders, they were working far too hard to take in the scenery, with such small time gabs it was a hard day of racing that made for a very fast and dangerous descent off of the mountain top.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could be yours by visiting my artist website at www.greigleach.com or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Final Stage: The Penultimate Climb

The final stage of Paris Nice featured two hard category 1 climbs, climbs that will finish out the 8 day stage race along the Mediterranean coast beside the port of Nice.  With little roadway left and the top ten places separated by just 30 seconds, it was going to be a day of hard racing.  A large break got away early in the stage but the penultimate climb of the day, Cote de Peille, was the launch pad for these four to make the first solid move of the stage.  They are Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing), Jeome Coppel (Cofidis), Greg Van Avermaet, (BMC), and Jerome Cousin (Europcar).  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg Watercolors and Steve Quiller Brushes from Jack Richeson and Company, Inc. (www.richesonart.com).  In addition these works are available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Stage 7: Up and Over

With his hands in the air, Tom-Jeffe Slagter (Garmin Sharp) becomes the second rider in this running of Paris Nice to win a second stage.  He was able to get up the final steep climb up to the finishing line, just beating out Rui Costa in the Rainbow Jersey (Lampre), Jose Joaquim Rojas (Moviestar) and the Yellow Jersey of Carlos Betancur (AG2R).  Costa was frustrated to claim second for the second day in a row and to be left still looking for his first victory in the World Champion Jersey.  He, however, remains in second place in Paris Nice by just 14 seconds.  Betancur's four place finish was enough to keep him in the leader's Yellow Jersey for the final stage into Nice.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could be yours by visiting my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  Or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Stage 7: Who Is That?

AG2R, the team that has the Yellow Jersey, had to ride hard on the front to defend Betancur's Jersey and chase down any threads to his lead.  You can see Villermoz look over at the attacking Dries Devenyns (Giant Shimano) to see if he was one of the riders close to his man on GC.  Since he wasn't they knew they could let him go and dare one of the other teams to chase him down.  While they didn't want to lose time, they also didn't need to win the stage either.  It was up to the others to attack and go for stage wins in hopes of taking back the Yellow Jersey.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could be yours by visiting my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  Or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Stage 7: Slipping Off the Front

Rather than leaving the early break out to fry, today they caught the seven member break too early setting up the opportunity for a flurry of attacks within the final 20 K of the stage.  This is Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis) and Guillou (Team Bretagne) trying to get away for the stage victory.  The other story being told is off the French Gendarme who travel with the race closing the roads, dealing with the sometimes unruly crowds and warning the cyclist of dangers in the road way.  They stand in front of the charging peloton waving a small yellow pennant with their backs against the traffic islands or construction zones along the race course.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that could by yours by visiting my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  Or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Stage 7: What Does He Have in HIs Pockets

Cyclist will consume upwards of 6,000 calories in a single stage of racing and if they don't get it right the resulting bonk could ruin his chances for an overall placing in the GC.  For those of you who may not know, cycling jerseys have three small pockets along the back (the easiest place for the riders to access).  Team Bretagne continued making a presence in all put one of each stage's break away.  Another rider who has benefit from getting into the break is the Lotto-Belisol rider in red, Pim Ligthart, who got over the mountains first and took over the lead in the King of the Mountains competition.  Now, he will get to wear the Polka Dot Jersey into Nice on the final stage of the race.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that can be yours by visiting my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  Or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Stage 7: Looking Them Over

With several big climbs in the middle of Stage 7, a group of 7 riders got out in front of the peloton, continuing the near perfect matching of numbers in the break to the number of the stage.  When a group is working together they will create a pace line, where the first guy in line breaks the wind for a while then swings off the front and goes to the back of the line.  Once in the back the rider has a chance to catch his breath while the next rider breaks the wind.  Due to the slip stream created as the wind slips around the leader the second rider uses as much as 50% less effort than the guy with his nose in the wind.  Lieuwe Westra (Astana) looks over his shoulder to find where he will be slotting in when he gets to the back.  It is also a good chance to get a look at his fellow breakaway members to assess their remaining strength.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard created using Yarka St. Petersburg cake watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes both from Jack Richeson Company, Inc. (www.richesonart.com).  Also, this work is available for purchase from my artist website, www.greigleach.com or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

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Paris-Nice Stage 6: Making It a Double

Naturally, if you and your team have been aggressive throughout the stage you really want to finish it off with a victory.  Even more so if the victory is the second one in a row and it wins you the Malliot Jaune.  So while AG2R rider, Alexis Villermoz crash within site of the finishing line, it was his teammate, Carlos Betancur, that got the better of the Rainbow Jersey of Rui Costa (Lampre), Geraint Thomas (Sky) Arthur Vichot (FDJ) and Zdenek Stybar (OPQS).  Between the bonus seconds for winning the stage and Stybar nipping Thomas at the line to gain the final bonus seconds available for the stage, Betancur gain enough time to take over the Yellow Jersey of race leader.  This is an original watercolor and ink postcard that is available for purchase through my artist website, www.greigleach.com.  Or you could just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Spring%20Classics%202014/2328181---195767/Painting.html#.UyPHqcvD_IU