The Art of Cycling

Monday, March 22, 2021

Milano Sanremo 2021 - Time to Go!

The peloton hit the final climb of the Poggio all together so it was time to try and give it a go. As expected it was Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) who was the first to launch an attack. The World Champion was quickly covered by Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) and Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix). These were the three that started the day as the favorites to win the day, two having one the race in the recent past. However, it didn't look like they were getting enough of a gap to hold off the peloton on the technical descent in just a few minutes.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at www.greigleach.com, or you can simply follow th edirect link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since ti is an original work of art, it is a first come first seved reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburth watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3801737-16-290150/Painting/time-to-go-ms21-5.html

Milano-Sanremo 2021 - Making It Hard

As the peloton went up the penultimate climb of Milano-Sanremo (the Capo Cipressa) Sam Oomen (Jumbo Visma) hit the front setting a hard pace for his team leader, Wout Van Aert. Van Aert was using the strategy that if the pace was super fast on this climb no one would be able to launch the traditional race winning attack. He was right. Lined out behind the two from Jumbo Visma were Ineos-Grenadiers including Luke Rowe, Tom Pidcock (in his race debute), and Michal Kwiatkowski. It was looking like it was either going to be an attack on the final climb of the Poggio or it would be down to a sprint finale.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3801733-15-290150/Painting/making-it-hard-ms21-4.html

Milano-Sanremo 2021 - How Are We Feeling?

As the break hit the first of the three Capi, the Capo Mele, the break away was down to four riders and their gap was down to just a minute and a half. It seems that Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar) is looking over at Taco Van Der Hoorn (Intermache Wanty Gobert) asking how he is feeling. Most likely he was taking stock of the legs of his break away compatriots to see if they would be able to stay away from the charging peloton. Ironically, it was Norsgaard who dropped away on the may up the Capo Capressa in another ten kilometers time.

The costal road to Sanremo was punctuated with multiple construction zones, here safety cones are moving the riders to their left. This is just one of the many pinch points on the route for the much larger peloton. Side note, Intermache Wanty Gobert ride Cube bikes, as do I. This is the first time I have ever been on a bike that was also being ridden by a Pro Tour team.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3801730-14-290150/Painting/how-are-we-feeling-ms21-3.html

Milano-Sanremo 2021, You Gotta' Eat

With 190 kilometers covered, a distance longer than most every Grand Tour stage, it was important for everyone to keep eating just to be able to make it to Sanremo. Let alone to be able to race to the finish. So it was that Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiaini-CSF-Falzane) dropped back to his team car to grab another bite to eat. He and his break away companions still had another 109 kilometers so he (and they) had to eat. The octet had almost five minutes on the peloton behind, yet it would not be enough time to ensure a win on the Via Roma.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3801707-13-290150/Painting/you-gotta-eat-ms21-2.html

Milano-Sanremo 2021, Ready for a Long Effort

Milano-Sanremo is known as the longest race of the year, a complete race of 299 kilometers with another 7 kilometers of a neutral roll out. This year the broadcasters decided it would be a good idea to show the race from start to finish. I confess, I did skip some sections of the race. Hell, I even took a break and went out for a sixty kilometer ride myself. After all, it was a beautiful, mild, Sunday afternoon. Yes, yes, I know the race was held on Saturday, but I couldn't get enough time together to paint the race until Sunday. The early break got away at just six kilometers with seven guys, an eigth joined a little bit later on. Included in this painting are Nicola Conci (Trek-Segafredo), two riders from Novo Nordisk (the team composed of riders whom all have type II diabetes); Andrea Peron and Charles Planet, and Taco Van Der Hoorn (Intermache-Wanty-Gobert). It is unlikely that they will all stay away for the remaining 289 kilometers but it could happen... it didn't.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3801704-12-290150/Painting/ready-for-a-long-effort-sr21-1.html

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Strade Bianchi Donne - To Perfection

As the duo of Chantel Van Den Broeck-Blaak (SD Worx) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek Segafredo) the race commentators where saying there was no way Chantel would be able to out climb nor out sprint Elisa. "If she is going to have any chance, she is going to have to time her attack to perfection." Chantel had forced Elisa to ride the last 6 or 7 kilometers on the front thus hoping to have tired the Italian National Champion's legs out before the final climb. As the duo neared the crest of the climb, Chantel jumped from the back and had the legs to leave her erstwhile companion behind to take the win in what she claims will be her last time racing the Strade Bianchi Donne. Chapeau!

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3798895-11-290150/Painting/to-perfection-sbd21-5.html

Strade Bianchi Donne - She Can See Them

Inside the final kilometer and on the final climb of the day Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) was away from the others and in sight of the two leaders just up the road. She put everything into the move to bridge across, but she just didn't have the legs. She was caught by both the World Champion and the European Champion (neither of whom could bridge across either) and then dropped by the top of this brutal climb. However, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3798893-10-290150/Painting/she-can-see-them-sbd21-4.html

Strade Bianchi Donne - Leaving the Others

Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek Segafredo) succeeded in bridging across to the front group that included Chantal Van Den Broeck-Blaak (SD Worx). She wasn't satisfied with just joining the front group, she went off the front. It was only Chantal who could hold the wheel of the Italian Champion. The two built up about 10 seconds on the rest of the front group as they raced through the streets of Siena. With just 5 kilometers left to race it was looking like the race would come down to a sprint between these two. However a short steep climb still faced all of the women before one would race her arms in victory.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3798878-9-290150/Painting/leaving-the-others-sbd21-3.html

Strade Bianchi Donne - Coming Across

Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek Segafredo) saw the danger in the group ahead and decided it was up to her to get into the move. She used the penultimate section of gravel to try and push off the front of those chasing with her. She made it across, but she brought some marquee riders across with her. I have been intrique with the use of the race motorcycles with the double front wheels. I assume they are more stable at slow speeds, an imporant asset when riding up the steep climbs with the racers.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3798875-8-290150/Painting/coming-across-sbd21-2.html

Strade Bianchi Donne - An Escaping Quartet

Alas, the race coverage app I am using felt that they didn't need to provide coverage of the women's race until the final 20 kilometers of the race (I'll find out later how much coverage there is of the men's race). However, at least they did provide some coverage of women's cycling. On the upside just as they came to the race this powerful quartet of Ellen Van Dijk (Trek Segafredo), Chantal Van Den Broeck-Blaak (SD Worx), Sabrina Stuliens (Liv Racing), and Mavi Garcia (Ale BTC Racing). At this point they only had a few seconds so it wasn't a sure thing that this was going to be the move.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-2021/3798873-7-290150/Painting/an-escaping-quartet-sbd21-1.html