The Art of Cycling

Saturday, September 25, 2021

Flanders 2021: Rolling Through Quickly

Regular readers of this blog will know that I enjoy a title that has more than one possible interpretation. The same is true for virtually all of my large scale artwork as well. Here, The Dutch men, Bauke Mollema, Keon Bouwman and Jos van Emden were taking very quick pulls on the front of their trio as they neared the end of their leg of the Mixed Team Time Trial in Brugge. When the women had finished their leg of the race, they had improved on the time gaps handed to them by these three guys. The Dutch are the defending champions in this discipline, but today they saw their title go to Germany. With the rides of Annemiek van Vleutin, Ellen van Dijk, and Riejanne Markus the team in orange claimed the silver medal in Brugge.

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/Flanders-2021/3838544-20-292177/Painting/rolling-through-quickly.-uci21-20.html

Flanders 2021: Is He Waving Farewell?

I may never know why Tony Martin (Germany) was waving his arm while in the first leg of the Mixed Team Time Trial with Max Walschied and Nikias Arndt. But it almost seemed as though he was waving farewell to all of his fans from around the world. This is Martin’s last race as a professional and thanks to these two guys and his female teammates, Lisa Breannauer, Lisa Klein, and Mieke Kroger, it was a gold medal earning finale. While he certainly couldn’t do it alone, nor did he, it was a truly fabulous way to end an even more amazing career as a professional cyclist. I am going to miss watching him race, but I am sure he won’t be totally gone from the cycling world.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3838543-19-292177/Painting/is-he-waving-farewall-uci21-19.html

Flanders 2021: You Only Need Two

Both Coryn Rivera and Ruth Winder knew that the time was taken when the second woman finished the course, so they weren’t too worried that they had left Leah Thomas behind. The duo had built on the lead that their male teammates had given them, finishing their effort with the new best time. Alas for us here in the States, their time didn’t stand up to those yet to finish. They ended the Mixed Team Time Trial in eight place, not quite what they had hoped for as they gasped for air at the finish.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3838542-18-292177/Painting/you-only-need-two.-uci21-18.html

Flanders 2021: Better Line Up, Better Speed

The trio of Elise Chabbey, Nicole Koller, and Marlen Reusser found it necessary to reset their riding order as the kilometers ticked by. Reusser was hitting a brutal pace on the front and Chabbey just couldn’t pull through when her teammate needed to drop off of the front. As she struggled, Koller moved up to the front to take over the pace making for the team. It wasn’t long after the Chabbey had to surrender to the pace of Reissner (who plans to attempt the hour record next week) and left it to her two country women to finish the leg of the Mixed Team Time Trial. They just barely lost out on the bronze medal by a fraction of a second to Italy. Was this the moment it happened?

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3838531-17-292177/Painting/better-line-up-better-speed.-uci21-17.html

Flanders 2021: A Little too Soon

I’m am not quite sure how or why Christina Schwieberger (Austria) went a little too early when it was the women’s team’s time to hit the Mixed Team Time Trial course. She desperately tried to hold still on the ramp as she waited for her teammates, Kathrin Schwieberger and Sarah Rijkes to get the green light for the start. Was it her starting too soon, or did the guy holding her upright while she waited just let her go. Regardless, she did not start off put ended up waiting for the others at the base of the ramp. Once they started, she re-clipped and off the three went. Her entire team ended the day in 12th place so perhaps they were penalized for her false start.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3838530-16-292177/Painting/a-little-too-soon.-uci21-16.html

Flanders 2021: Passing the Devil

He had to show up after all these Worlds are being raced in his home country. The male half of the Spanish team, Xavier Mikel Azparren, Diego Lopez and Lluis Mas, seemed to take no notice of Didi Senft as the sped by. Senft is a long time fixture on the side of the road at most major European cycling events. It always warms my heart to see him bedecked in his Devil’s outfit leaping high in the air as he cheers on every cyclists as they ride pass him. The Spanish trio was on a good ride but didn’t managed to finish in the top ten at the end of the day. Hopefully, both the Spanish men and women will fair better in there respective road races on the weekend.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3838529-15-292177/Painting/passing-the-devil.-uci21-15.html

Flanders 2021: Working Together

The first to roll down the start ramp in Knokke Heist was the UCI World Cycling Team for the Mixed Team Time Trial. The race is comprised of a team of three men who race on leg of the course and then as they finished, a three woman team starts off for the second leg. The intermediate time is taken when the second rider crosses the line, and then the final combined time is taken when the second rider in the women’s team crosses the finish line. This team is made up of riders from many nations including a refugee from Syria who have traveled to the UCI training center in Switzerland in hopes of furthering their cycling careers.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3838528-14-292177/Painting/working-together.-uci21-14.html

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Flanders 2021: Leading All the Way to Brugge

Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) was posting the new best times as she went through both the first and second time checks. She was holding off Annemiek van Vleutin (Netherlands) behind her. I am sure that her sport director was yelling encouragement in her ear the whole 30 kilometers to Brugge. Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands) had a brilliant final kilometers actually increasing her pace as she got closer to Brugge. Reusser wasn't quite able to accomplish the same acceleration coming up just 10 seconds shy of van Dijk's time. So it wasn't the Rainbow Jersey for the Swiss woman, but she does end the day with the silver medal.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3837725-13-292177/Painting/leading-all-of-the-way-to-brugge-uci21-13.html

Flanders 2021: The Elder States Woman

With apologies I couldn't resist this titled. In fact, I came up with the title before I created this watercolor. You see, Amber Leone Neben for the United States of America is the oldest women competing in Flanders this year. At 46 years old she is five years older than anyone else in the race, and she is from the States, so thus the title. It is also a riff on the obsessively formal manner that US Senators will use when addressing each other, think, "The elder statesman from Ohio" for example. But enough about the title, Neben was burning up the course and took a new second place as she crossed the line in Brugge. Alas, two out of the three women behind her posted just slightly better times, so she ended her time trial in fourth overall. For comparison, the winner was young enough to be her daughter. I point this out not because she is a woman, but she gives hope and faith to all of us older cyclists. Plus, it belies the ridiculous (now gone) rule for a median age of a team for women's cycling.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3837724-12-292177/Painting/the-elder-states-woman-uci21-12.html

Flanders 2021: Perfect Form

As I start to write this, I realize that the title could be misinterpreted by those with a less than chase mind. I am talking about Juliette Labous's (France) perfect aerodynamic tuck. What did you think I meant? Labous was posting some excellent times out on course including her second place as she crossed the line in Brugge. With some very strong riders behind her, that placing dropped to a sixth over all for her effort in the Elite Women's time trial. Not to shabby.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Flanders-2021/3837723-11-292177/Painting/perfect-form-uci21-11.html