Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Powering to Gold

Chloe Dygert (Team USA) had to spend a long day on the top seat watching women after women try to best her time.  Dygert had to wait for over twenty others to finish before discovering that she had just one a brand new Rainbow Jersey.  Team USA captured both the Gold and Silver in the Junior Women's Time Trial honoring the host country.  The hometown crowd was rewarded with watching two flags of the United States rise over the podium as the Star Spangled Banner blared over the loudspeakers.

It is striking how much access one has to these riders.  I had the opportunity to show Chloe this painting and to congratulate her personally on her victory, along with her teammate, Emma White who was proudly wearing her silver medal.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  The paintings are for sale each day at the Downtown Fanfest in the Greater Richmond Convention Center at 5th and Marshall Streets in Richmond, VA.  There are originals and two different sizes of prints being offered for sale starting at $20.00 USD. Eventually, they will be available through www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Dutch Cornering

If you have spent anytime reading my blog posts over the years, you are aware how much I love titles that have a play on words.  In this case, the title is a subtle reference to the famed, or perhaps infamous, Dutch Corner on the Champs Elysees on the final day of the Tour de France.  The Dutch fans are quite robust.  Even here in Richmond I saw Dutch fans dressed in bright orange costumes festooned with the red, white and blue flag of the Netherlands.  Yara Kastellin did her best to make her countrymen proud but was unable to find a step on the final podium.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  The paintings are for sale each day at the Downtown Fanfest in the Greater Richmond Convention Center at 5th and Marshall Streets in Richmond, VA.  There are originals and two different sizes of prints being offered for sale starting at $20.00 USD. Eventually, they will be available through www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Against the Clock

Day two of the UCI World Road Racing Championships kicked off with the Women's Junior Time Trial.  Unfortunately for my painting efforts, there was no video coverage of the racing.  Fortunately, I have many cycling fan friends who were able to catch images along the sides of the course.  Thanks to Chris Dunn and Facebook, I was able to paint this of Daria Pikulik of Poland.  She was one of the earlier starters and spent some time in the hot seat chairs were riders sit waiting to discover if they will hold their position on the podium as each subsequent rider finishes her ride.  I actually had the opportunity to meet this 18 year old who was delighted to see this work (she went so far as to sign the back of the painting).

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  The paintings are for sale each day at the Downtown Fanfest in the Greater Richmond Convention Center at 5th and Marshall Streets in Richmond, VA.  There are originals and two different sizes of prints being offered for sale starting at $20.00 USD. Eventually, they will be available through www.richmond.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Setting the New Best Time

Team Movistar used to have a reputation for being very bad at the Team Time Trial discipline, that however, is no longer the case.  With only a few teams left on the road behind them, they clocked the new best time has they finished their ride at 5th and E. Broad Streets.  The effort didn't not win them the prize they sought, but it did manage to land them on the podium in third, so it will be Spanish Bronze for them.  Etixx Quickstep repeated their Silver Medal from Ponferrada and BMC repeated as well, but for them it is a second year as the World Team Time Trial Champion (Men's champion).

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available as an original or two different size prints at the Convention Center.  Later they can be purchased through www.richmond.com.  This was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.

If you enjoy seeing these works, you can come down to the Fanfest at 5th and Marshall Streets, just a block from the finish line of every race of the 2015 UCI World Road Racing Championships, and watch me create the works in person.  You can also watch a live feed of me creating the works at www.richmond.com.  At the Fanfest, you will be able to buy prints in two different sizes, (8"x10" or 11"x17") and the originals are available for purchase as well.  Just look for me directly across from the podium.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Chasing the Train

Etixx Quickstep was chasing a train that happened to be both ahead and behind.  They were trying to catch up to Movistar up the road riding a few seconds slower and hold off the closing BMC train that seemed to be gaining on them second by second.  They must have felt as though they were caught by the train that pass overhead on the elevate trestle to their right.  Those tracks carry coal and passengers up and down the eastern seaboard the wheels underneath of them are carrying their hopes of trading the Spanish Silver for American Gold.

Just ahead of them, by the yellow caution sign, is a train track crossing that once claimed my front wheel and quite a bit of my skin, happily everyone did better crossing the tracks than I.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available as an original or two different size prints at the Convention Center.  Later they can be purchased through www.richmond.com.  This was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Dropped But Not Forgotten

Team Jelly Belly brought four riders to the line, meaning two were left out on the road to make it home on their own.  I am sorry I don't know this man's name, but the enthusiastic Richmond fans welcomed him to the line with high fives and cheers.  It had to lift his spirits and propel him through the pain and potential embarrassment.  It may me proud of my fellow Richmonders.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available as an original or two different size prints at the Convention Center.  Later they can be purchased through www.richmond.com.  This was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: It All Goes Wrong

As we all watched the coverage in the Fanfest near the finishing line, there was a sharp intake of breath as members of Tinkoff Saxo hit the deck at the top of the climb out of the city.  It was hard to figure out exactly what went wrong.  There wasn't anything on the road, nor was there a sharp corner or any clear reason why the lead rider should suddenly find himself sprawling on the road taking out a fellow teammate.  All in the hall (including myself) feared that Peter Sagan was one of those on the road.  Fortunately for the hopes of Slovakia and his fans everywhere, he stayed upright and maintains his strong hopes for claiming the Rainbow Jersey on the final day of racing.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available as an original or two different size prints at the Convention Center.  Later they can be purchased through www.richmond.com.  This was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Looking to Repeat

Team BMC left Lewis Ginter with a simple ambition, to repeat their victory in Ponferrada.  But as we all know, ambition and achievement are not one in the same.  With each time check on the course, it was becoming clear that they may well attain their goal.  The team was followed around Richmond with a TV Moto.  The coverage was rewarded by BMC using the time splits of every team to have come before to measure their efforts toward their second consecutive World Team Time Trial championship.  Chapeau!

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available as an original or two different size prints at the Convention Center.  Later they can be purchased through www.richmond.com.  This was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: All in a Line

It is lovely just how quickly one can be riding in the open country side on quiet car less roads heading east out of downtown Richmond.  However for Astana, the force of their effort left them little time to enjoy the view.  The team wasn't doing much to catch the experts at this discipline either.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available as an original or two different size prints at the Convention Center.  Later they can be purchased through www.richmond.com.  This was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.

Richmond 2015 UCI Worlds: Into the Battlefield

I have made this same corner into Richmond's Battlefield Park but never at the kind of speeds that IAM Cycling was carrying off of Osbourne.  The Swiss team was chasing a new best time, but with the reigning gold and silver medalists on the road behind them it was going to take some serious speed to hold the lead throughout the day.  After the park, the riders head straight back into the city, unfortunately, the final kilometer has the steepest climb of the day.  At least the full compliment of six riders is still together pass the half way point.

This is an original small watercolor and ink painting that is available as an original or two different size prints at the Convention Center.  Later they can be purchased through www.richmond.com.  This was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.