Fleche Wallonne 23, Men’s Race: Let’s Keep Working

The day started with an early break that was kicked off a kilometer one by Jacob Hindsgaul (Uno-X).  He was joined by seven others.  They build up nearly four minutes on the peloton before those behind decided  the gap had gotten just a bit too big.  Hindsgaul looks back over his shoulder to try and convince Raul Garcia Pierna (Equipo Kern Pharma), Lawrence Naesen (Ag2r-Citroen), and rest of his fellow escapees to keep working.  At this point they were climbing Cote de Cherave for the first of three trips around the three climb course.  

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946890-543-195767/Painting/lets-keep-working-fw23-7.html

Fleche Wallonne 23, Women’s Race: Queen of Mur de Huy

She may have attacked too soon on the final climb of Fleche Wallonne, but it can’t be denied that Demi Vollering (SD Worx) had the legs to get to the top all alone.  After looking back to make sure no one was closing on her (it has happened  to some whom celebrated too soon) she began her celebrations a good 25 meters from the line.  I was struck by her simple act of removing her sunglasses, part in glee, and part to make sure we saw her face in all of the photos shot as she crossed the line alone.  She becomes only the 11th woman to win the now 23 year old Fleche Wallonne Femmes.  Chapeau!

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946458-542-195767/Painting/queen-of-mur-de-huy-fwf23-6.html

Fleche Wallonne 23, Women’s Race: Making Sure

With just 150 meters to go, Demi Vollering (SD Worx) looked back to make sure no one was coming up too quickly on her.  She did find Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Mavi Garcia (Liv Racing TeqFind) were back there.  But as she turned back forward her smile let everyone know that she knew the victory was going to be hers.  I don’t think I have ever seen such a smile grow so broadly across a rider’s face before.  Lippert, the German National Champion, held on for second, yet, Garcia, the Spanish National Champion, faded to fourth on the day.  

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946449-541-195767/Painting/making-sure-fwf23-5.html

Fleche Wallonne 23, Women’s Race: Climbing Away

Demi Vollering (SD Worx) as been having an absolutely amazing spring season!  As the peloton caught all of the earlier escapees at the base of the Mur de Huy, she just up the pace.  The increase was enough to leave everyone struggling to get to her wheel.  The last to lose contact was Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM).  The only questions was had she gone too soon.  The final climb of Fleche Wallonne is like climbing a wall.  Should someone go too soon, they can find themselves unable to sustain the effort up the kilometer and a third climb that tops out at an eighteen percent gradient.  Given the season that she and the team have been having, I betting she’ll just continued to increase her advantage.  If you are wondering Niewiadoma finished in eleventh place a full twenty six seconds behind the winner on the day.

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946445-540-195767/Painting/climbing-away-fwf23-4.html

Fleche Wallone 23, Women’s Race: Stuck in the Middle

Try as they might, Ricardo Bavernfeind (Canyon-SRAM), Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ) and Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal-Quick Step) weren’t not able to catch the lone leader, Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo).  With 47 seconds to Spratt, they had the peloton closing in on them, just another 24 seconds back.  They seemed to be stuck there in the middle, neither gaining on the one ahead, nor losing time to the peloton behind.  At this point they were about to climb the penultimate cote of the day.  They weren’t giving up, but success seemed less likely with each pedal revolution.

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946399-539-195767/Painting/stuck-in-the-middle-fwf23-3.html

Fleche Wallone 23, Women’s Race: “How Am I Doing?”

As soon as the group containing the World Champion and her teammate (amongst others), Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo) went on the offensive.  She built up a 45 second gap as three more behind tried to bridge up to her.  As she looked back over the little rolling hills, she could see the chasers, and a bit further behind them, the peloton.  With 29 kilometers left to race, it was going to take some real effort to stay away.  The further challenge was the two climbs yet to come, the Cote d’Ereffe and the Mur de Huy.  (Spoiler, they caught her at the bottom of the Mur de Huy with just about a kilometer left to race.)

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946382-538-195767/Painting/how-am-i-doing-fwf23-2.html

Flèche-Wallone 23, Women’s Race: Getting a Gap

On the second time up the fabled Mur de Huy, this trio of the World Champion, Annemiek Van Vleutin (Movistar), Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insrance-Quick Step) and Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) were able to open up a gap on the rest of the peloton.  Just behind them Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek-Segafredo) struggles to join the move.  As they went over the top of the climb Borghini was able to join them as they built up a gap on the way down the other side of the ‘wall.’  

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3946368-537-195767/Painting/getting-a-gap-fwf23-1.html

Paris Roubaix 23: By a Lap!

While it may look like the chasing duo was about to catch Matthieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) as he celebrated his victory in the 120th edition of Paris Roubaix.  In fact, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and his teammate, Jasper Philipsen, were a full lap behind.  It was fun that Philipsen was celebrating along with his team leader.  Side note, Philipsen out sprinted Van Aert to give their team a one, two, with Van Aert rounding out the podium.  The next group of three came in another two minutes later and the unfortunate John Degenkolb another minute further behind,  Many other big names in the sport weren’t able to finish the race at all.  The last man to cross the line was a full forty minutes behind the time of the winner.  Alas for him, that was outside of the time limit thus counting as a disqualification.  But finishing the ‘Hell of the North’ is a win in itself.

I am not sure what other races I will be painting before the Tour, but it will most likely include the Dauphine and perhaps some other Spring Classics.

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3945330-536-195767/Painting/by-a-lap-pr23-16.html

Paris Roubaix 23: Power & Luck

To win Paris Roubaix it takes good fortune and some truly powerful legs.  Both were with the former Dutch champion, Matthieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) today.  His two main rivals, Wout Van Aert and John Degenkolb had either had a flat tire or a crash respectively.  The others in the front group just couldn’t hold onto the Dutchman’s wheel as he road across the final five star cobbles of Carrefour.  With just nine kilometers to the finish line in the velodrome and a 29 second advantage it was unlikely that they would catch the leader of Alpecin-Deceuninck.  The chase was further thwarted by the prescience of Van Der Poel’s teammate Jasper Philipsen in the two-man group behind.

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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3945328-535-195767/Painting/power-luck-pr23-15.html

Paris Roubaix 23: More Bad Luck

Coming out of the Forest of Arenberg Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) had a flat tire which dropped him out of the front group.  And then again, while coming out to another section of pave he had another flat.  At least this time he was able to catch back up to this chase group containing his teammate, Nathan Van Hooydonck along with Sjoerd Bax (UAE Team Emirates), Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Dstny), and Gianni Vermeersch (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Both of the Jumbo-Visma guys were desperate to catch back up to the front group to help out their guy Wout Van Aert.  They had the problem of towing Gianni back up to his two teammates without doing any of the work to get there.  Spoiler, they never got there.  Jumbo-Visma was using an automatic inflation system in their tires, but it didn’t seem to be helping at all.  In fact, Van Aert suffered a flat near the finale which cost him the chance to vie for the 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 and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $90 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Spring-Classics-/3945313-534-195767/Painting/more-bad-luck-pr23-14.html