Dauphine Stage 5: Escorted Home

Certainly Simon Spilak's (Katusha) victory was a solo win, having gotten away on the final climb of the day, but he hardly crossed the line alone.  The Slovenia was accompanied to the line in La Mure by the race referee's red car, the yellow motorcycle of the time keeper, the race communication moto and one of the TV motos as he raised his arms in a jubilant victory celebration.  This is the second victory in a row for Katusha and this time the Director Sportif made sure his man zipped up his jersey before claiming the stage for the team.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting (4"x6") that could be yours through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 66th Criterium du Dauphine. 

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2388028---199476/Painting.html#.U6OgFs_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 5: Caught in the Middle

With Simon Spilak (Katusha) up the road and the Team Sky led peloton chasing hard behind, what was left of the break was caught in no man's land between the two.  While John Darwin Atalpuma (BMC) rummaged in his pockets for an energy gel and Egor Silin (Katusha) look over his shoulder to see where Team Sky was at, Adam Yates (Orica GreenEdge), Bartosz Huzarski (Netapp-Endura) and the others just kept turning over their pedals.  With only 15 kilometers left in the stage, they could at least be racing for second place and some time on the GC.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting (4"x6") that could be yours through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 66th Criterium du Dauphine. 

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2388026---199476/Painting.html#.U6OeRs_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 5: Out Front & All Alone

While Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) used the descent of the Col de la Morte to try and attack the peloton, Simon Spilak used the following climb to attack the remainder of the early break away.  He and Christophe Le Mevel (AG2R) got away on the way up the Cote de Laffrey but the Frenchman couldn't hold the wheel of the motivated Slovenian.  Spilak, a great time trialist, used his skill and power to push on from the top of the climb on the mostly flat road to La Mure and possible victory.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting (4"x6") that could be yours 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/Dauphine%202014/2388010---199476/Painting.html#.U6ObI8_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 5: Dancing Away

On the descent of the Col de la Morte, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo) sitting second on GC, surprised Team Sky, Chris Froome (Team Sky) and the whole of the peloton by attacking.  Contador is not only an excellent climber, but he is equally skill going down the mountain as well.  By the time he was well up the final climb on the Cote de Laffrey, he had put a minute into Froome's Malliot Jeune becoming the virtual leader on the road.  Team Sky, much to the annoyance of their competitors, have the resolve to raise the pace and slowly ride back onto the wheels of most anyone who tries to get away.  So while it look like a winning move, Contador was shortly back into the Sky led peloton and soon to have his position on GC threatened by Wilco Kelderman (Belkin Pro Cycling).  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting, 4"x6", that could be yours 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/Dauphine%202014/2388004---199476/Painting.html#.U6OZvs_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 5: Right Back On

A little while ago there was a Mime circulating on twitter showing cyclist having crashed pretending they are fine, and footballers pretending they were hurt without any contact at all.  Michael Valgren Anderson (Tinkoff Saxo) proved that today on the descent of the Col du la Morte (fortunately not aptly named).  He missed judged a corner and hit the guard rail flipping wheels over helmet landing on the weeds on the other side.  Unlike some athletes, he quickly jumped up, put his bike back over the rail, got on, and sped on down the hill to help his team leader.  There are countless stories of these kind of feats of determination in the world of cycling and others that don't work out quite so well.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that could be yours through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of the 66th Criterium du Dauphine. 

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2388000---199476/Painting.html#.U6OYEM_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 5: Swingin' Off

Stage 5 featured the required break away that went on the first climb of the day back up the Col du Manse yet again.  The descent, which happened off camera, was the famed climb in the Tour du France where Beloki crashed smashing his hip and Lance Armstrong went across an open field, jumping back on to the road and rejoining the group he had been with.  At this point Jan Bakelants (OPQS) was getting a little frustrated with his break away companions on the climb up the Col de la Morte, he was trying to get Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale) Stafan Denifl (IAM Cycling) to come through and take a turn.  To force them to come by he swerved to the other side of the road, they just followed him over there.  Notice the TV cameraman standing on the rear of the motorcycle, this is how the wonderful film of the day after day of racing is captured.  There are multiple motos following all of the action on the road augmented by two helicopters.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting (4"x6") that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from the American company, Jack Richeson & Co. at www.richesonart.com.  This painting is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To buy this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post. 

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2387996---199476/Painting.html#.U6OVZ8_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 4: Solo Victory

Yury Trofimov (Katusha) managed to do what all riders in a break away hope for, he got the stage win!  Trofimov got into the 13 man break, the one that finally stuck, and then launched an attack on the final climb of the day up the Col du Manse.  He increased his lead over his erstwhile compatriots on the descend and managed to hold them all of across the flats into the City of Gap.  I am not aware of the number of stages or races he has won, but he did break one of the cardinal rules of victory salutes. As he approached the line he check to make sure no one was coming, crossed himself and in his joy forgot to zip up his jersey.  Team sponsors put their logos across the riders chests in hope of the victorious arm raised photograph that they can use for publicity.  Unless a cameraman caught this view from behind, there won't be any Katusha posters of this stage win into Gap.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that could be yours 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/Dauphine%202014/2387304---199476/Painting.html#.U6JEY8_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 4: In Search of Time

The next to attack the Malliot Jeune and the rest of the peloton was Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin Sharp), perhaps hoping to atone for his miserable ascent of the Col du Beal the day before.  He was quickly joined by two riders who saw a chance to take time out of Team Sky and Chris Froome.  They were TeJay Van Garderen (BMC) and Maxime Bouet (AG2R), their efforts were not in vain, both gained 39 seconds on Froome and moved themselves into 19th and 7th respectively.  It seems that Team Sky played the descent of the Col du Manse conservatively figuring that those ahead would not be able to gain too much time, and that the closest on the GC where still with him in the peloton.  This is an original small 4"x6"watercolor and ink painting that could be yours through my artist website.  To purchase this particular painting, follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your original art from the 66th Criterium du Dauphine. 

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2387302---199476/Painting.html#.U6JDJM_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 4: It's What He Does

Tommy Voeckler (Europcar) is the darling of the peloton.  He spent most of the day hanging around the back of the peloton even drifting off the back just a few minutes before he launch this attack on the Col du Manse.  So yes, he went from off the back to off the front in less than a kilometer.  I am sorry to say I never caught the name of the Lotto-Belisol rider who tagged on to the little French man's wheel.  Team Sky let them go, knowing that their tempo riding could be counted on to wheel the former French National Champion back into the fold.  This is an original small 4"x6" watercolor and ink painting that could be yours 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/Dauphine%202014/2387300---199476/Painting.html#.U6JBz8_D_IU

Dauphine Stage 4: Popping His Wheel

Not to be confused with 'Popping a Wheelie', something that Peter Sagan (Cannondale) is known to do when cresting the Alpine climbs of the Tour de France, Chris Froome (Team Sky) his popping his wheel off of his fork as he waits for his mechanic to show up with another wheel.  The UCI has required that the forks have a recess to keep the wheel from falling out of the fork if the quick release is not properly tightened.  While this is common in bikes for the general public it slows down the time it takes to change a wheel because it requires a further adjustment of the quick release skewer.  Froome is decreasing the time it will take to change his wheel by pulling the it out before the mechanic arrives.  Ironically, the mechanic just brought a new bike (he may not have known what the problem was so he went for the solution that would solve any problem).  This is an original small 4"x6" watercolor and ink painting that is available to own through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase  this particular painting, follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Only $50 USD for this original piece of art from the 66th Criterium du Dauphine.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Dauphine%202014/2387296---199476/Painting.html#.U6JADM_D_IU