Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 3: Pushing to Stay Away

Never one to resist a good pun (defined by the groan it produces), the quartet of the early break were pushing themselves as hard as they could to keep away from the fast approaching peloton.  They had just 12 kilometers left to race, but the peloton could almost see them on the long straight roads on the way into Montalto di Castro.  Giorgio Cecchinel (Androni Gattoli) gave Domingos Concalves (Caja Rural) a little push forward in line, skipping a turn at the front hoping to safe a little energy for the finale.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created live 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, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Plus be sure to discover my new book, "Art of Cycling: Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships".  You can purchase it online at www.artofcycling.bike or ask for it at your local bookstore.

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Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 3: On Country Roads

I know some people who watch cycling on television more as a travelogue than as a sporting event.  This race from sea to sea in the early spring certain has its share of geographic beauty, although I don't think this quartet had much energy left for enjoying the view.  By this point in the stage, the peloton had peg Adrian Honkisz (CCC Sprandi), Domingos Goncalves (Caja Rural), Davide Villella (Cannondale), and Giorgio Cecchinel (Androni Giocattoli) at a manageable 3 minutes.  With 45 kilometer left of the 176 kilometer stage, there was plenty of time to reel the escapees back into the peloton.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created live 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, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Plus be sure to discover my new book, "Art of Cycling: Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships".  You can purchase it online at www.artofcycling.bike or ask for it at your local bookstore.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2741301-271-195767/Painting.html#.VuMvz_krLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 3: Sprinting to the Top

The early break knew it would be the ones picking up all of the intermediate sprint points and the King of the Mountain points, so it was Domingos Goncalves (Caja Rural) who first got the jump on the others in the break, but it was the power of Davide Villella (Cannondale) who claimed maximum points on the top of Scansano.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created live 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, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Plus be sure to discover my new book, "Art of Cycling: Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships".  You can purchase it online at www.artofcycling.bike or ask for it at your local bookstore.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2741218-270-195767/Painting.html#.VuMUBPkrLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 3: Can You Fix It?

A ProTour team is not just the guys on the bicycles, it includes a huge crowd of support personnel.  Perhaps one of the most important is the mechanic that rides in the team car, who can fix anything that goes wrong while the car and the bike are rolling along at over 40 kph.  I am thinking that this is Gatis Smukulis (Astana) who has dropped back to see what is wrong with his derailleurs.  It isn't much fun being stuck in a hard gear on a climb.  Ultimately, the decision was to swap bikes and deal with the problem at the end of the stage.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting that was created live 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, just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Plus be sure to discover my new book, "Art of Cycling: Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships".  You can purchase it online at www.artofcycling.bike or ask for it at your local bookstore.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2741215-269-195767/Painting.html#.VuMSEvkrLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2: Timing It Right

I should tell you that I am now watching this race using RAI-TV's web broadcast, which has been great with the small exception of being in Italian - not a language that I am exactly fluent in.  That being said, the presenters were very excited with the attack by Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) but where going totally crazy when Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) countered Visconti's move bedecked in the tricolore of the Italian National Champion's Jersey.  However, it was the late move with just over two kilometers left by the former Czech National Champion, Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-Quicstep) that proved the be the well timed strong escape of the day.  Nibali wasn't able to chase down the fleeing Czech, nor could the reigning Slovak and World Champion, Peter Sagan.  Sagan managed to claim second on the day, but seems to be finding victory in the Rainbow Jersey a bit elusive.  Stybar's stage victory was enough to move him into the Maglia Azurro of race leader, with Tejay van Garderen (BMC) a mere nine seconds back (tied with a number of his teammates).

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.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

In addition, be sure to check out my newest cycling art book of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2740954-268-195767/Painting.html#.VuJiq_krLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2: Giovanni Has a Dig

With all of the early break back in the peloton (or out the back after the long effort), it was time for the opportunist to start the attacks.  One of the first to go was the Italian, Giovanni Visconti, riding for the Spanish team, Movistar.  Behind him one of the men from AG2R La Mondiale tried to cover the move while behind him, BMC kept stamping out the rhythm.  With just 5 kilometers left to race, it was possible to hold off the peloton if you time the move just right.  Unfortunately for Visconti, his move was pulled back just a kilometer or two up the road.

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.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

In addition, be sure to check out my newest cycling art book of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2740950-267-195767/Painting.html#.VuJfffkrLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2: Sensing the Peloton

Two of the members of the early break had already succumbed to the work of BMC, Team Sky, and lately, AG2R La Mondiale, Simone Andreetta (Bardiani CSF) looked over his shoulder to see just how close the peloton was to pulling himself, Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18), Nikolay Mihaylov (CCC Sprandi) and Luis Mas Bonet (Caja Rural) back into the fold.  With only 12 kilometers left to the finish, it must have been to see the multi colored peloton just meters behind after nearly 200 kilometers of racing.

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.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

In addition, be sure to check out my newest cycling art book of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2740933-266-195767/Painting.html#.VuJdifkrLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2: The Job at Hand

The early break had gained over six minutes on the peloton so it was up to the team of the Magila Azurra, BMC, to go in search of the escapees.  With the beautiful country side to entertain their eyes, BMC worked tirelessly to bring the six back, with twenty kilometers left to ride those up the road had just over a minute on the American team.  Riding in the shadow, or more accurately, in the slipstream, were the teams of Movistar, Astana and Bora-Argon 18.

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.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

In addition, be sure to check out my newest cycling art book of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships at www.artofcycling.bike.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2740930-265-195767/Painting.html#.VuJaOfkrLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2: Attacking the Climb

It is almost an unwritten rule that the wild card teams must go on the attack in any race that they have an invitation to participate in.  The only ProTour team rider in the early break in stage 2 of Tirreno Adriatico was Frederico Zurlo of Lampre-Merida.  Join him were riders from four of the wild card teams including, Giorgio Cecchinel (Androni-Giacattoli-Spidermec), Nkolay Mikoylov (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), Simone Andreetta (Bariani CSF), Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18).  And attacking them all on the climb up to the summit of Monterotondo Marittimo was Luis Mas Bonet (Caja Rural - Sefuros RGA).  Alas, his attack was for naught as he was caught at the summite by Zurlo.

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.  This painting is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

In addition, be sure to check out my newest cycling art book of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships at www.artofcycling.bike

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2740534-264-195767/Painting.html#.VuGq6fkrLIU

Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 1: Turning for Home

With slightly better results than Katusha, Astana was riding to keep their leader and former winner of all three grand tours, Vincenzo Nibali, in close contact with the top of the general classification.  With less than a kilometer left to the line, Nibali's faithful lieutenant, Jakob Fuglsang, is tacked onto the back of the line of teammates having done his share to keep the team flying to the finish.

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.  In addition this painting and all of my cycling art, is available for purchase through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  And yes, international shipping is available.  Just follow the direct link at the end of this post to get your piece of artwork of the Tirreno-Adriatico.

Be sure to look up my recently published book, "Art of Cycling: Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships"  You can purchase your copy online at www.artofcycling.bike or ask for it at your local bookstore.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring%20Classics%20/2740280-263-195767/Painting.html#.VuEA6_krLIU