Tour of California, Stage 4: The Clear Winner

Two steep climbs within the final 5 kilometers ensured that the marquee sprinters would not be present to contest for the stage victory.  However the World Champion, Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) is not your typical sprinter.  It was Sagan who was able to sprint around Nathan Hass (Dimension Data) and still hold off the chasing Greg Van Avermaet (BMC).  It was Van Avermaet that Sagan left on the penultimate climb of 23rd Street in Richmond, Virginia on his was to winning his Rainbow Jersey.  Van Avermaet did manage to exact some revenge in some of the early Spring races in Belgium this year.  Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep) managed to hang on to finish at the same time as the leaders thus holding on to Yellow.  Sagan may have done enough to solidify is hold on what will become his fourth Green Jersey in the Tour of California, a feat he has already accomplished in the Tour de France.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting created live during the race using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my cycling art is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  You will also find my art/cycling books on the 2014 Tour du France and the 2015 UCI Road World Championships on the site as well.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post. Don't delay, these are one of a kind original paintings, so once they are gone, they are gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792960-20-223355/Painting.html#.Vz0Vw_mDGko

Tour of California, Stage 4: On to the Track

Two short steep climbs mark the end of a 134 mile race along the Pacific coast, the final on the Mazda Raceway just above Monterey Bay.  First it was yet another rider for Axeon Hagens Berman, Ruben Gurreiro, who went on the attack.  His effort was quickly countered by Nathan Haas (Dimension Data).  While these two raced away, the favorites including George Bennett (LottoNL Jumbo), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) played cat and mouse, trying to see who could escape from whom.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting created live during the race using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my cycling art is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  You will also find my art/cycling books on the 2014 Tour du France and the 2015 UCI Road World Championships on the site as well.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post. Don't delay, these are one of a kind original paintings, so once they are gone, they are gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792957-19-223355/Painting.html#.Vz0SOfmDGko

Tour of California, Stage 4: Dropped Them All

Gregory Daniel (Axeon Hagens Berman), bedecked in the bright blue jersey of most courageous rider from his efforts in Stage 3, showed no signs of being star struck.  The young American launched his attack on the penultimate climb of the day.  He looked back over his shoulder to confirm that not only was he the first over the climb, but he had dropped the rest of the members of the break.  With just 5 miles left to race on the longest stage of the Tour, he was hoping to hold off the break and the closing peloton.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting created live during the race using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my cycling art is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  You will also find my art/cycling books on the 2014 Tour du France and the 2015 UCI Road World Championships on the site as well.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post. Don't delay, these are one of a kind original paintings, so once they are gone, they are gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792954-18-223355/Painting.html#.Vz0OvfmDGko

Tour of California, Stage 4: Taking a Peek

The only thing odder than seeing the famous sprinter, Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), in a break away, is seeing him lead the small group up a climb.  I am curious what was going through Gregory Daniel's (Axeon Hagens Berman) mind as he rode along with one of the legendary figures still competing on the ProTour.  Also with this group was yet another of the young riders from Rally Cycling, Will Routley.  It feels like Rally Cycling and Axeon Hagens Berman have had a player in every break away in every stage of this year's Tour.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting created live during the race using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my cycling art is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  You will also find my art/cycling books on the 2014 Tour du France and the 2015 UCI Road World Championships on the site as well.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post. Don't delay, these are one of a kind original paintings, so once they are gone, they are gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792939-17-223355/Painting.html#.Vz0LdPmDGko

Tour of California, Stage 4: Along the Coast

I find the peloton a thing of beauty, the sport a pure art form, full of color, motion and drama, and then there are days like today.  The fourth stage of the Amgen Tour of California routed the riders north along the Coastal Highway that dives a weaves along the spectacular coastline of the Pacific Ocean.  Today's break comprised of Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), Gregory Daniel (Axeon Hagens Berman), Tanner Putt (UnitedHealthcare), Timo Roosen (Lotto NL Jumbo), Michael Morkov (Katusha), Ryan Anderson (Direct Energie) and Will Routley (Rally Cycling), may have been spending too much energy to enjoy the views, but I certainly enjoy the scenery.  Riding this road is one of the things on my "bucket list."

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting created live during the race using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my cycling art is available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  You will also find my art/cycling books on the 2014 Tour du France and the 2015 UCI Road World Championships on the site as well.  To purchase this particular painting, just follow the direct link at the end of this post. Don't delay, these are one of a kind original paintings, so once they are gone, they are gone.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792933-16-223355/Painting.html#.Vz0HrfmDGko

Tour of California, Stage 3: With Only the Camera for Company

The final attack was launched by Julian Alphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep), and it was his that stuck!  Alphilippe pushed off from the wheel of Peter Stetina (Trek-Segafredo) with less than 500 meters to the summit.  It was his patience that made his burst of effort so successful.  His victory atop Gibraltar Road also gave him the overall race lead.  You should know that the efforts of the first to attack, Nielson Powless (Axeon Hagens Berman) earned him a 5th on the stage and a fifth on the General Classification.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting measuring 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting (and all of my cycling art and cycling books) are available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting (and yes international shipping is available), just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792327-15-223355/Painting.html#.VzvSyPmDGko

Tour of California, Stage 3: Less Than One Kilometer

Peter Stetina (Trek-Segafredo) was the next to go on the offensive.  He waited a little longer than the youthful Nielson Powless (Axeon Hagens Berman).  As he went under the flame rouge that de-marks the final kilometer of the stage, he had a good ten seconds on those who had set their hopes on victory atop the brutal climb.  Alas, like Powless before him, Stetina couldn't hold on to his advantage and had to settle for second on the stage, and for being second overall in the General Classification.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting measuring 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting (and all of my cycling art and cycling books) are available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting (and yes international shipping is available), just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792279-14-223355/Painting.html#.VzvL1PmDGko

Tour of California, Stage 3: The Power of Youth

To the surprise of the commentary team, and to the ever dwindling peloton, the youngest man in the race (still a teenager), Neilson Powless (Axeon Hagens Berman) jumped off of the front of the group. He quickly opened up a gap of up to 30 seconds on those laboring up the Gibraltar Road climb.  The climb is the steepest and hardest in this year's Tour of California, and was proving to be upsetting the overall classification rather quickly.  Already off the back and losing large junks of time are two of the wearers of the Yellow Jersey, Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Ben King (Cannondale).  It remains to be seen if the youngster Powless had the legs to hold off some of the big names of international cycling.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting measuring 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting (and all of my cycling art and cycling books) are available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting (and yes international shipping is available), just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792237-13-223355/Painting.html#.VzvJBPmDGko

Tour of California, Stage 3: Leaving the Others Behind

Feeling the peloton closing in and the weakening of the other members of the break away, frist Tanner Putt (UnitedHealthcare) and then Gregory Daniel (Axeon Hagens Berman) attack the other escapees.  Gregory Daniel is the rider who is in one of the most popular images I painted during the UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Virgina.  The painting is of the young American riding over the James River on the Lee Bridge with the downtown city skyline just over his shoulder.  It is a treat to see those I watch race in the Under23 and Junior races move up into the developmental and Pro teams.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting measuring 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting (and all of my cycling art and cycling books) are available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting (and yes international shipping is available), just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792231-12-223355/Painting.html#.VzvGC_mDGko

Tour of California, Stage 3: Second by Second

Cannondale has the Yellow Jersey on the shoulders of one of their teammates, Ben King, so it falls on them to reel the escapes back into the fold. Leading the team is Patrik Bevin, sporting the bandages of a crash early in the stage.  Riding just on their wheels was the team of Evan Huffman, Rally Cycling.  While the man riding in the Polka Dot Jersey and sitting second overall was up the road, it was his team that kept their eye on the boys in green.  I can't really figure out what Rally Cycling's goal was back in the peloton, but Huffman was certainly achieving his up the road.

This is a small original watercolor and ink painting measuring 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting (and all of my cycling art and cycling books) are available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting (and yes international shipping is available), just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour%20of%20California/2792228-11-223355/Painting.html#.VzvDm_mDGko