Vuelta, Stage 14: Climbing as One

Their jerseys may be different, but Davide Villella (Cannondale-Drapac) and Simon Clarke are riding on the same team.  Villella is wearing the blue polka dots of the King of the Mountains leader.  He has placed himself in yet another break away inorder to collect more points towards holding the jersey all of the way to Madrid.  Tucked onto the pair is Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe), Rui Costa (UAE Emirates0 and Bart de Clercq (Lotto Soudal).  There are a few others in this leading group as they climp up the penultimate climbe of the day, the Alto Valdepenas de Jaen.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3026035-20-239162/PaintingClimbing-as-One-V-21.html

Vuelta, Stage 13: Sprinting for Another

Rewarding his teammates for all of their hardwork throughout the stage, Matteo Trentin (Quickstep) sprinted to his third stage victory in the 2017 Vuelta!  And added to the four wins for the team so far.  Getting second on the stage while protecting his team leader was Gianni Moscon (Sky), third went to the Dane, Soren Kragh Anderson (Sunweb).  It was Tom van Asbroeck (Cannondale-Drapac) who managed fifth.  However, the ever attentive Chris Froome (Sky) was able to mix it in with the sprinters making sure he lost no time to his rivals.  He even pulled back seven seconds on Trentin's teammate, David de la Cruz.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024835-19-239162/PaintingSprinting-for-Another-V-20.html

Vuelta, Stage 13: Round-a-bout

The Quickstep team has been tearing up the Vuelta having one four stages already, but seem to want more with just a kilometer and a half to go.  The final two short climbs at the end of the stage were making it difficult for the traditional sprinters, but the Green Jersey of Matteo Trentin (Quickstep) had already taken a "mountain stage" as a sprinter, so this shouldn't be a problem.  Certainly, his teammates Bob Jungel and Julian Alaphilippe believed in him.  Alaphilippe is another one of the Quickstep riders who has taken a stage.  Attempting to mix it up with the Quickstep train is Soren Kraugh Anderson (Sunweb) hoping to grab a stage for his team (and for himself).

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024829-18-239162/PaintingRound-a-bout-V-19.html

Vuelta, Stage 13: Down to Two

Despite having been in mulitple breaks in this year's Vuelta, it was Alessandro de Marchi (BMC) and Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) who rode away from their erstwhile French companions.  However, it looks like de Gendt is trying to beat a cramp out of his right leg.  No wonder the bright sun and 39 degree celsius temperatures weren't helping matters.  With just fifteen kilometers left to race, and the loss now of de Gendt, de Marchi had very little hope of holding off the peloton, but no point in surrendering now.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024811-17-239162/PaintingDown-to-Two-V-18.html

Vuelta, Stage 13: Against the Odds

With a stage that is ear marked for the sprinters, these four were playing against the odds to take the stage.  But as Alexis Gougeard's (Ag2r La Mondiale) teammates motto states, "Take the risk or lose the chance."  Joining the Frenchman in the most likely vain effort were two riders who seemed to have been in every break of this Vuelta, Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal) and Alessandero de Marchi (BMC).  Sandwiched between those two was the other Frenchman, Arnaud Courteille (FDJ).  It was a little odd not to see a Spaniard go for it on the long, hot stage to Sevilla.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024802-16-239162/PaintingAgainst-the-Odds-V017.html

Vuelta, Stage 12: Chasing Flat Out!

As always, Team Sky was there to support their leader, Chris Froome.  After his two crashes, Froome still had both Wout Poels and Mikel Nieve to help him chase down the GC group and Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo).  Froome was able to ride hard and limit his time losses, although thanks to his teammates he seemed to be in little danger of losing his lead.  Now, it will be interesting to see how seriously he was hurt (I'm sure adrenlin helped him ignore any pain at the time of the crash).  Fortunately for him, tomorrow is a flat stage for the sprinters so he will have some time to recover.  Unless of course the crosswinds blow up and split the peloton apart.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024537-15-239162/PaintingChasing-Flat-Out!-V-16.html

Vuelta, Stage 12: Bad Luck

One's race can turn on a dime, at any second it can all go wrong.  Chris Froome (Sky) had crashed about 500 meters earlier.  Feeling under pressure from the audacious attack being waged by Alberto Contador, and trying to catch back onto the group containing his other GC rivals, he over cooked it in another corner going down hard after losing traction with his front wheel.  Fortunately, he wasn't seriously hurt, so he was up and racing quickly.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024531-14-239162/PaintingBad-Luck-V-15.html

Vuelta, Stage 12: Never Give Up

Alberto Contador (Trek Segafredo) need have done nothing and still have would have been the darling of Spanish cycling (note the number 1 on his bib, an honor given him in his last professional race), but today, he through caution to the wind and went out on a solo attack.  Actually, he was joined by Nicolas Roche (BMC) but rode the Irishman off of his wheel on the final climb.  He ended the day pulling back over a minute on Chris Froome (Sky) and nearly as much on the rest of his GC rivals.  More about Froome shortly.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024526-13-239162/PaintingNever-Give-Up-V-14.html

Vuelta, Stage 12: Slipping Away

With Morkov's attack neutralized, it was the young Australian, Brendan Canty (Cannondale-Drapac) who was the next to put in a go off the front.  More than half of the break had been dropped alredy on the Puerto del Torcal, so it was only Omar Fraile (Dimension Data), Tomasz Marczynski (Lotto Soudal), Pawel Poljanski (Bora Hansgrohe) and Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) who could stay on the young man's wheel.  With 23 kilometers left to race, it seems as though it is down to one of these five.

With the troubles that Canty's team are experiencing, it would be great to grab a bit of glory in the Vuelta.  The team has lost a major sponsor and is currently running a crowd funding drive on Indiego.com.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024523-12-239162/PaintingSlipping-Away-V-13.html

Vuelta, Stage 12: Off on His Own

The early break away was able to build up a lead of over eight minutes on the Team Sky lead peloton.  Given that kind of a gap, it was almost a given that one rider from the break would take the stage on the day.  With that in mind it was Michael Morkov (Katusha-Alpecin) who was the first to launch the hostilities.  He quickly open up a gap in the lead up to the final climb of the day.  At this point he was joined only be the Shimano neutral service moto, there in case the Russian rider had a mechanical.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  It is only $75 USD and international shipping is available.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Vuelta-2017/3024519-11-239162/PaintingOff-on-His-Own-V-12.html