Tour de France 23, Stage 1: Embracing Yellow

The Yates twins did managed to hold off the peloton to fight out the win in Bilbao between themselves.  Adam Yates (UAE-Team Emirates) was able to come around his brother Simon (Jayco-Alula) to claim the first Maillot Jaune of the 2023 Tour de France.  Simon had done a lot of the work to keep the two away so just didn't quite have the legs to stay with Adam in the final meters of the stage.  Adam gained four seconds on his brother at the end of the stage, and had a 12 second gap back to the rest of the contenders.  Since he will be pulling on the Maillot Jaune, Simon will start stage two in the Maillot Vert as the second place rider in that competition.  Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) will wear the Maillot a Pois, and it should come as no surprise that Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates will wear the Maillot Blanc of best young rider due to his third place finish on the stage.

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 $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra. 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3962900-5-297438/Painting/embracing-yellow-tdf23-5.html 

Tour de France 23, Stage 1: Riding Alike

I tried hard to come up with a title that embraced the uniqueness of this moment.  I doubt that a pair of twins have ever sprinted for a stage victory that would also award the Maillot Jaune in the Tour in its over hundred year history.  That is exactly what is going on, Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) had gotten away on the final descent with his twin brother, Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) in tow.  The two opened up a ten second gap on the marquee riders of the Tour rather quickly.  They worked together descending the Cote de Pike continuing to build on their advantage.  With a climb up to the finish line in Bilbao, it was a good chance the two climbers would be able to vie for stage honors between themselves.  

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 $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra. 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3962895-4-297438/Painting/riding-alike-tdf23-4.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 1: Sprinting for Polka Dots

Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) was just able to out sprint a frustrated Georg Zimmerman (Intermache-Circus-Wanty) to claim the five KOM points on offer at the top of the Cote de Vivero.  Given the climbs Cat 2 rating, it gave the American on the American team enough points to pull on the Maillot a Pois at the end of the opening stage of this year's Tour.  Zimmermann pounded his bars in disappointment, but then reached out and congratulated Powless on this sprint.  No sense making any enemies in the peloton on the first day of the Tour.

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 $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra. 

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3962891-3-297438/Painting/sprinting-for-polka-dots-tdf23-3.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 1: The Best of the Rest

With the five man break away still up the road, the intermediate sprint in Gernika-Lumo was for sixth place.  But, the race for the Maillot Vert is all about earning points everyday, not just winning stages.  So is was Mads Pedersen in the new colors of Lidl-Trek out sprinting a resurgent Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) with Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) just on the wheel of the retiring Sagan.  With the larger share of points already gone, and even more to be awarded at the finish, Pedersen was not destined for the sprinter's jersey today.  But with two more lumpy days to go before the flat stages he may yet have a chance to wear green.

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 $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3962883-2-297438/Painting/the-best-of-the-rest-tdf23-2.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 1: Who Is Going to Chase?

When Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X) had attacked the second time on the first climb of this year's Tour, Balentin Ferron (TotalEnergies) and Simon Guglielmi (Arkea-Samsic) looked at each other hoping the other would take up the chase.  These three had been joined by two others in the early break away.  They managed to stay away for roughly a 100 kilometers, but with a Yellow Jersey awaiting the winner of the stage, their efforts were doomed from the start.  While they traded the lead in the King of the Mountains competition amongst themselves, they were caught before the big climb of the day.  Perhaps one of them will come away with the most Aggressive Rider prize, but otherwise they came away empty handed in the end.

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 $95 USD including shipping, but yes international shipping is both available and extra.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Tour-de-France--Tour-de-France-Femmes-2023/3962879-1-297438/Painting/who-is-going-to-chase-tdf23-1.html

 

Fleche Wallonne 23, Men’s Race: When He Knew

I suspect that Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) knew he would win today when he woke up.  He had his team working all day to keep the break aways in check.  They also set a pace that made it near impossible for anyone to get away from the team policing the front of the peloton.  The team knew that all they had to do was deliver Pogacar in a good position at the base of the Mur de Huy and he would be able to do the rest on his own.  Many tried to get a jump on him and even more tried to follow his acceleration, but when he looked over his shoulder with 50 meters left to go he knew that he could add la Fleche Wallonne to his palamares, finally.

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-/3946984-548-195767/Painting/when-he-knew-fw23-12.html

Fleche Wallonne 23, Men’s Race: What Was Expected

Just because everyone expected Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), it doesn’t mean they were going to be able to do anything about it.  With roughly 500 meters left to climb, Pogacar went on the offense after all of the work his team had done all day.  At first it looked like Guilin Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) was going to catch the fleeing Slovenian, but he soon faded finishing fifth on the day.  Last year’s victor, Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) looked like he might be poised to repeat, but he too, was unable to match the power of Pogacar in the closing meters of the day.  He managed a fourth this time out.  It was Ciccone’s teammate, Matthias Skejlmose, who took second today, and a surprised rush by Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) who claimed third.

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-/3946981-547-195767/Painting/what-was-expected-fw23-11.html

Fleche Wallonne 23, Men’s Race: The Last Survivor

With just five kilometers and one very steep climb to go, Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-Deceuninck) was the last of those that had been off the front.  While he was not part of the original early break away, he did bridge up to the leaders with there was still another 35 kilometers to go.  At this point he still had twenty seconds on the big names in the race.  Normally, that had a chance to be enough, but today the last kilometer includes a climb that has sections at an eighteen percent gradient.  I had noticed a large hand made sign rooting him on half way up the climb.  I’m sure he saw it on the previous trips up the Mur de Huy.  Will it give him enough lift to stay away on the final ascent?

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-/3946922-546-195767/Painting/the-last-survivor-fw23-10.html

Fleche Wallonne 23, Men’s Race: Getting Some Help

With just two guys up the road, Samuel Battistella (Astana-Qazaqstan) jumped out of the peloton in hopes of joining the pair.  While he had escaped the immediate grasps of the main group, he seemed stuck in the middle.  That is he was stuck until Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-Quick Step) came across.  The two then set off to finish bridging up to the other two on the front of the race.  They did get there by working together, which is far better/easier than trying to do it on their own.

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-/3946915-545-195767/Painting/getting-some-help-fw23-9.html

Fleche Wallonne 23, Men’s Race: Down to Two

Soren Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) attacked his erstwhile break away companions over the second climb of the Cote d’Ereffe.  Of the other seven in the original group, only Georg Zimmerman (Intermache-Circus-Wanty) was able to join the Dane on the front of the race.  They had another 46 kilometers to race but they were holding off the chasers and the peloton, for now.

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-/3946908-544-195767/Painting/down-to-two-fw23-8.html