TDF, Stage 19: Second on the Road

With one guy up the road alone, Casper Pedersen (Team DSM) was the next to get away from the rest of the chase group.  With two kilometers to race it was going to be a hard chase to catch up to Mohoric.  I admit that part of the reason I painted this one was to make sure I got another painting of someone on Pedersen's team.  They haven't been lighting up the Tour.  That may be the same reason that he was doing everything he could to go for a stage victory.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824351-128-291436/Painting/second-on-the-road-tdf21-127.html

TDF, Stage 19: An Impressive Effort

After multiple attacks, it was Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) who had the timing and the legs to get away from the reduced break away.  The team is having a great tour, and so his Mohoric.  He already has one stage win in this Tour and there is every reason to believe he will get another one today.  He has forty seconds on the disorganized chase behind, an another minute and a half back to the rest of the early break away.  With the peloton over sixteen minutes back, it is his stage to win.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824347-127-291436/Painting/an-impressive-effort-tdf21-126.html

TDF, Stage 19: Attacking the Break

It was a large group of 20 that had left the peloton far behind.  The problem for the break away is that is too many to have everyone keep working together all the way to the finish.  Just after Phil Liggett and Bob Roll had been discussing who would be the one to go off the front, it was in fact Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) that went off the front as predicted.  His attack was chased down by Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Fenix) with Brent Van Moer (Lotto Soudal) and Georg Zimmermann (Intermache-Wanty Gobert) joining in the chase.  This attack was neutralized, but now everyone would be trying to get away until it eventually works.  With the peloton almost eleven minutes behind, the stage winner was going to be one of these guys in the break.  That meant all the more reason to try and get off the front.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824342-126-291436/Painting/attacking-the-break-tdf21-125.html

TDF, Stage 19: Handing Off

The Tour has done a lot to cut down on littering by the peloton, including fining riders for tossing their waterbottles.  Although they don't seem to mind riders tossing them at the feet of spectators along the side of the road.  The bottles are a treasured souvenir for cycling fans everywhere.  The problem comes when a rider is trying to get a fresh bottle but doesn't have any room in his bike's cages for another bottle.  I watched a couple riders do what Max Walscheid (Qhubeka-NextHash) is trying to do here.  Just off camera a support motorcyle is reaching to take this bottle from him before passing him a fresh one.  Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) is watching this move with interest, perhaps preparing to follow suit. The two were on the tail of the early break, or at least the one that got away for good.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824338-125-291436/Painting/handing-off-tdf21-124.html

TDF, Stage 19: He Isn't Here

With six guys already up the road by the time the peloton got to the intermediate sprint in Saint Sever, there wasn't many points left in the competition to wear the Maillot Vert.  The long drag up to the sprint suited Cavendish's main competitors, Micheal Matthews (BikeExchange) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrian-Victorious).  Matthews looked back over his shoulder to see where everyone was as he went to the line.  I think Colbrelli was looking around trying to figure out why they were seeing the leadout for Cav from his team.  Matthews' teammate, Luka Mezgec, was on the wheel of the Italian champion ready to jump off after anyone who challenge his guys lead across the sprint point.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824334-124-291436/Painting/he-isnt-here-tdf21-123.html

TDF, Stage 18: The Race Is Behind Him

Yet again, I get to use a title that has two different meanings.  First, clearly the racing is now behind Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) with a unsurmountable lead of over five and a half minutes.  And now with this stage win he will also win the Maillot a Pois, and given his age, he is the owner of the Maillot Blanc as well.  Just as he did last year.  The other race is for second and third in the Tour.  As they crossed the line, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) added a few more bonus seconds to his second place ahead of Richard Carapaz (Ineos-Grenadiers).  With a flat stage tomorrow all the three of these guys have to do is stay upright and finish near each other.  But Saturday, the individual time trial could change some placings, but remember Vingegaard was third in the first TT.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824259-123-291436/Painting/the-race-is-behind-him-tdf21-122.html

TDF, Stage 18: Leaving Everyone Behind

Everyone had been trying to figure out how to attack the Maillot Jaune of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).  He did not have to do much of anything on this stage, he has five and a half minutes on those in the distance behind him.  But clearly, racing is in his DNA.  Much has been said of Mark Cavendish tying the win totals of Eddy Merckx, but this is the guy about to do something Merckx never did.  If he stays on his bike until Paris, he will win the Maillot Jaune, the Maillot Blanc, and with this move, the Maillot a Pois for the second year in a row.  Merckx never won the Maillot Blanc, I don't think he was young enough to win it when it debut in 1968.  But he did win the Maillot Vert (sprinter) the Maillot Jaune and the Maillot a Pois (climber) in one year, 1969.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824255-122-291436/Painting/leaving-everyone-behind-tdf21-121.html

TDF, Stage 18: Allez, Allez, Allez!

Over virtually every kilometer of the Tour de France, the fans along the side of the road yell, "Allez, allez, allez!"  Today it must have been Rafal Majka (UAE Team Emirates) yelled to his team leader (and Maillot Jaune), Tadej Pogacar as he came off the wheel of his teammate.  Usually, the leader will wait until his last teammate does one final pull and then swings off.  Pogacar caught the other GC riders by surprise by going out from behind the wheel of his last domestique.  At first the other two domestiques left, Jonathan Castroveijo (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) were able to match the acceleration for their respective team leaders, Richard Carapaz and Jonas Vingegaard.  The five opened a bit of a gap on Enric Mas (Movistar) who was trying to defend his position on his own. There are another four kilometers to climb to the final mountain top finish of this Tour de France.  So there is plenty of room to fight out the rest of the GC positions.  I doubt there is enough road left to unseat Pogacar and his five and a half minute lead on those behind him in GC and on this stretch of road.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824251-121-291436/Painting/allez-allez-allez-tdf21-120.html

TDF, Stage 18: First One Down the Mountain

David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) may not have been the first over the top of the Col du Tourmalet, but he was the first back down the other side.  As he flew the town, he showed just how far he was willing to lean his bike over to carry maximum speed through the corners.  That might just be why he was the first one off the mountain.  Gaudu was hoping to have a big enough gap from the chasing peloton to stay away on the climb up the Luz Ardiden.  He wasn caught on the final climb yesterday so he was hoping to do a bit better today.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824250-120-291436/Painting/first-down-the-mountain-tdf21-119.html

TDF, Stage 18: Over They Go

While two guys had already gone over the top of the Tourmalet, it was Wout Poels (Bahrain-Victorious) taking the most points of any of those near him in the quest to wear the Maillot a Pois in Paris.  He followed Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education-Nippo) and was in turned followed by Omar Fraille (Astana-Premier Tech).  The problem Poels is facing in this stage is the knowledge that the guy in second is Tadej Pogacar, who is leading the race in the Maillot Jaune and will most likely go for the stage win at the top of Luz Ardiden.  If he does it will be another 40 KOM points added to his total.  Poels will have to finish at least 5th to keep hold of the Polka Dots.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above.  Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg 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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824249-119-291436/Painting/over-they-go-tdf21-118.html