Tour Stage 2: Using His Team

Many who are new to the sport of bike racing don't realize that it is a team sport.  Each member of the team is there for a particular reason, all to further the cause of the team that has pinned its hopes on the team leader.  When the team leader has a problem, either from a crash, a flat, or even from stopping along the side of the road to take a pee, several members of the team will drop back to help pace their man back into the peloton.  To understand the speed of the pace line, one needs to have a grasp of aerodynamics, the guy in front breaks the wind so that the guy behind uses about 30% less energy to travel at the same speed.  Here it is Tejay van Garderen is brought back up through the following caravan after he had a flat.  He was escorted back into the fold by 3 of his teammates, Peter Velits, Marcus Burghardt and Michael Schar in hopes that Tejay would be at the business end of the race at the line in Sheffield.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will appear in my soon to be self published "Book de Tour" (learn more about this at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  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%202014/2397100---199992/Painting.html#.U7nD1M_D_IU

Tour Stage 2: Big Crowds for a Big Break

Day two of the Tour saw the break form in the first kilometer of racing for the second day in a row.  The group swelled to seven once Bart De Clercq (Lotto-Belisol) got across to the group containing, Blel Kadri (AG2R), the American Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing), Cyril Lemoine (Cofidis), Davide De La Cruz (NetApp Endura), Amindo Fonseca (Bretagne-Seche) and Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar).  All of these guys saw this stage with its nine categorized climbs as a great opportunity for the break away to succeed, at the very least as a chance to take over the KIng of the Mountains Polka Dot Jersey.  Estimates of the crowds along the roadside of Stage 1 ranged from one to two million people and from the start it looks like the 201 kilometers from York to Sheffield would top those numbers easily.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting created using Yarka St. Petersburg Watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com and will be included in my self published "Book de Tour (learn more about early orders and backing opportunities at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  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%202014/2397098---199992/Painting.html#.U7nASs_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: You've Got to Finish

It had to be a heart breaking day for Mark Cavendish (OPQS), he had hoped to take a stage victory in his mom's home town with her looking on.  While Cavendish has already racked up 25 stage victories in the Tour de France in his career to date, he has never pulled on a Maillot Jaune in the Tour.  I am sure he envisioned receiving the Jersey from the Royals at the finishing line and riding through the stone wall lined country roads of England tomorrow.  Instead, he tangled with Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge) and the pair went sprawling across the asphalt miraculously only taking out one other member of the fast sprinting peloton.  There where some worrying images of Cav writhing in pain being attended to by the race doctor before he was put back on the bike.  For any one in the Tour, a rider must cross the finishing line in order to be allowed to start the following stage.  So regardless of his injuries, if he hoped to line up in York, he needed to get himself across the line today.  This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that is available on my artist website at www.greigleach.com   This painting and text will also be part of my self published "Book de Tour", to learn more about the book project, pre-order your copy or become part of getting the book to print, please visit my Kickstarter site at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  To purchase this particular painting of the 101st Tour de France, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2396654---199992/Painting.html#.U7h-DM_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: Where He Left Off

You can look at this title two ways both proving that Marcel Kittel (Giant Shimano) is a very powerful, fast sprinter.  Kittel won the final sprint of the 2013 Tour de France on the Champs Elysees and then picked up the victory of the very next Tour de France stage, today.  Also, he won the first stage of the 2013 Tour in a very similar fashion, down to Mark Cavendish (OPQS) crashing on the final approach to the line.  With his win in Leeds, Kittel will pull on the very first Maillot Jaune of the 101st Tour de France.  However, it may be short lived with the climbs that are facing the peloton in the second stage on the narrow roads of England.  Kittel was followed across the line by Peter Sagan (Cannondale), Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin Sharp) and Bryan Coquard (Europcar).  It was Coquard that narrowly avoided going down when Simon Gerrans (Orica- GreenEdge) and Cavendish fought for a piece of the roadway.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting will also be included in my soon to be self published collection of cycling art and writings, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book project, to pre-order and to become part of bring the book to print visit my fundraising site at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  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%202014/2396632---199992/Painting.html#.U7h3hc_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: Jumping from the Kite

Ever the opportunist and always the strong man, Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) used the small steep climb just before the final kilometer banner to get a jump on the sprinter's teams.  Cancellara is well known for his pure power, often riding the entire off of his wheel, the way he has won many of the Spring Classics including Paris-Roubaix.  He just about had them today, but he was caught with less than 500 meters to go.  I am sure he put fear into the hearts of the lead out men and their sprinters.  Although not as much fear that was soon to hit the front of the race as the fast boys jockeyed for position.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  This painting will be part of my soon to be self published "Book de Tour" along with all of my writings and paintings of the 101st Tour de France.  To learn more about the book project please visit my Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  If you want to purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Don't delay, everybody loves Spartacus!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2396626---199992/Painting.html#.U7hztM_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: Is Everyone Here?

With the five kilometer to go banner in site, Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) looks over his shoulder to make sure his sprinter, Andre Greipel was still on the back of the train.  As the peloton rolls in towards the finish of the flatter stages, the sprinters will use their teams to wind up the pace to make it difficult for anyone to get away, ruining their chance for a coveted stage victory.  For stage one of the 101st Tour de France, whoever crossed the line first would also pull on the Maillot Jaune of the overall race leader.  This is a prize that rarely falls to a sprinter for a variety of reasons, mainly that they go very fast but not when the road goes up a mountain.  This is an small original watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  In addition it will be included in my self published "Book de Tour" a collection of my paintings and writings on this 2014 Tour de France.  To learn more about the project, to participate in bringing it to life and to pre-order your copy, please visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  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%202014/2396592---199992/Painting.html#.U7hgH8_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: Shut Up Legs!

Jens Voigt (Trek Factory Racing) decided the only way he was going to achieve his goal of pulling on a Polka Dot Jersey at the end of the stage was to rid himself of his break away companions.  So using the intermediate sprint as a launch pad, tricking Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and Benoit Jarrier (Bretagne-Seche) into thinking he would sit up after winning the sprint, he went off on his own in search of the final two categorized climbs on the day.  Voigt is a favorite rider amongst the peloton and cycling fans worldwide, partly due to his slogan painted on the top tube of his frame, "Shut Up Legs".  Trying to solo to victory on the stage, I am sure he told his legs to shut up more than once.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  It will also be included in my self published "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book, to pre-order and to be part of bringing the project to life, please visit, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour  To purchase this painting from the 101st Tour de France, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2396566---199992/Painting.html#.U7hcd8_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: Lining It Up for Green

Sprinters in the Tour de France have two slightly competing objectives, one is stage victories, the other to wear the Green Jersey of the most consistent rider.  These can be competing objectives because the sprinter and his team can expend quite a lot of energy sprinting for the intermediate sprint points, energy they made need when it comes to the final kilometer of the stage.  It can be telling to see which teams come to the front of the peloton as they pass under the 1000 meters to go point for the intermediate sprint line.  Today it appeared that Mark Cavendish and his team, Omega Pharma Quickstep, were going to fight out the points with Peter Sagan and his boys of Cannondale.  Neither capture the maximum remaining points, they each just watched the other to make sure neither was going to started building a significant point lead.  This is an original watercolor and ink small painting that is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  In addition this painting will be included in a book that I am self publishing, "Book de Tour".  To learn more about the book, pre-order your copy or to help in bringing this treasury of cycling art to life go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  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%202014/2396562---199992/Painting.html#.U7hZgM_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: Getting the Point

With just a single King of the Mountain point on offer at the top of Craig Hill, it was a aggressive sprint to the summit.  Unfortunately for Jens Voigt (Trek Factory Racing) the two young Frenchmen proved to quick for the senior campaigner.  Ultimately it was Benoit Jarrier (Bretagne-Seche) getting the first virtual lead in the Polka Dot Jersey competition over his countryman, Nicolas Edet (Cofidis).  The Tour has four races within the race, the Maillot Jaune , or Yellow Jersey, is for the least overall time, the Green Jersey is for the points leader, the Polka Dot Jersey for the rider who gains the most King of the Mountain points and the White Jersey for the best placed young rider under 25.  Of course there is always the race for the stage victory, too.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available for purchase at my artist website, www.greigleach.com   To buy this piece of the 101st Tour de France, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  This painting, and all of my painting of this Tour will be presented in a self published book, "Book de Tour" if you would like to be a part of bringing this book to life and to pre-order your own copy please visit my Kickstarter fundraising site at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2396556---199992/Painting.html#.U7hVs8_D_IU

Tour Stage 1: From the Opening Kilometer

The 101st Tour de France got underway in Leeds after stopping in front of Harewwod House to be officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.  After chatting with the royals and the cutting of the ceremonial ribbon by Duchess Kate, the riders pulled on their helmets and shortly got to the business at hand.  From the very moment the start flag was dropped, Jens Voigt (Trek Factory Racing) attacked the peloton, bringing Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and Benoit Jarrier (Bretagne-Seche) along with him.  Voigt is the oldest man in the race, closing in on 43 years old.  He is an inspiration to us old guys and the rest of the cycling world.  This is an original small watercolor and ink painting (4"x6") that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  In addition, this painting is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this piece of the 101st Tour de France, just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  This painting, and all of the works of the 2014 Tour will be presented in a soft cover 11"x8 1/2" book entitled "Book de Tour",  you currently have the opportunity to support the creation of the art at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1335072134/book-de-tour.  There are some fabulous incentive packages to help make this book a reality.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-view/Tour%20de%20France%202014/2396554-1-0-199992/Painting/Sports.html#.U7hSEs_D_IU