Tour de France 23, Stage 4: An American in France

The newly honored road champion of the USA, Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) looks back for his team car during the middle section of Stage 4 of the Tour.  Simmons will be called upon shortly to rev up the pace at the intermediate sprint for his teammate Mads Pedersen.  He would again drop off the pace inorder to go back to pace setting for the finale.  Just ahead of the American champion, Aurelien Paret-Peintre (Ag2r-Citroen) was scurrying to get back onto the tail of the group as the pace began to increase.

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-2023/3963711-20-297438/Painting/an-american-in-france-tdf23-20.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 4: Time to Chat

The combination of a stage for the sprinters and no one going in the early break away made for a very leisurely stage, at least for the first 140 kilometers.  They were riding so slow at times that even I could have held onto the tail of the peloton for about 50 kilometers.  Then, I am quite sure my legs would have blown. The pace gave many in the peloton time to check in with former teammates and old friends.  It was nice to see the cameraman catch this moment between Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan) and Julian Alaphilippe (Lotto-Quick Step).  Both guys are former World Champions on the road, although Alaphilippe held that title for two years in a row.  And both have had their problems with the director sportif of the team now known as Lotto-Quick Step.

And yes, this is the painting the Phil Liggett talked about on air during NBC's broadcast of Stage 4 of the Tour de France.

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-2023/3963704-19-297438/Painting/time-to-chat-tdf23-19.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 3: One, Two, Three

It was clear from the helicopter shot that Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) had out sprinted the other eighteen sprinters in the mass finish in Bayonne.  But it took almost twenty minutes for the commissares to decide if he had sprinted dangerously and shut the door on Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).  He had kept a straight line that led him close to the barriers, it was Van Aert who slowed and seemingly gave up the sprint.  In the end Philipsen's victory stood with Phil Bauhaus (Bahrian-Victorious) taking second and Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) claiming the last step of the stage podium.  Many thought this was going to be the stage that Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqkstan) would break the record of stage wins in the Tour, but he only managed a 6th place in his first chance at the record.  Stayed tuned!

For the record, Van Aert crossed the line just ahead of the Manx Missile.

Plus, while Philipsen won the stage and pulled even in points with Lafay, the Frenchman's grapping of points back in the intermediate sprint meant that the Cofidis man will hold onto the Maillot Vert for at least one more stage.  It might make the two sprints on offer tomorrow that much more exciting.

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-2023/3963476-18-297438/Painting/one-two-three-tdf23-18.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 3: Stretching It Out

It was a wide relatively straight run in to what was looking like a bunch sprint to end stage 3 of this Tour de France.  With five kilometers to go, it was still a struggle to gain control of the peloton for very long.  It was a little odd to see Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos-Grenadiers) hit the front without any teammates on his wheel, it wasn't like his teammate Tom Pidcock was the right kind of sprinter for this mass dash.  On his wheel was most of Soudal-Quick Step being lead by Yves Lampearts with the rest of the peloton strung out behind.  I think it is Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) trying to slide back in line to help his sprinter, Wout Van Aert.  More about that with the final painting of 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-2023/3963469-17-297438/Painting/stretching-it-out-tdf23-17.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 3: Last Climb in Spain

Today did not go as planned for Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), it went a whole lot better!  It was cleared that he and the team thought he would only be able to gain points on the first two climbs of the day, but instead the peloton decided that they were only going to race for stage honors.  That meant that he was able to go over the top of every climb on the stage first, thanks in part to an agreement with his break away companion, Laurent Pichon (Arkea-Samsic).  Pichon didn't vie for the climbs, and Powless didn't vie for the intermediate sprint.  Once over this climb, Powless sat up to save energy on the rest of the way to the finish.  Pichon carried on thus earning himself the most agressive rider of the stage prize.  You'll notice that Powless' bib number is a pale yellow, that denotes that he won that prize for his efforts in Stage 2.

All along the roads of the three stages in the Spanish Basque countryside, the fans have been out in droves.  They made sure they were there to see the Tour over the last climb in Spain in droves.  Seemingly, every single person had their own Basque flag.

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-2023/3963461-16-297438/Painting/last-climb-in-spain-tdf23-16.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 3: A Beautiful Day Out

Not only is the Tour a beautiful race to watch, it races through some truly beautiful places in the world.  Today the peloton wove its way in and out of the coastline of the Bay of Biscayne on its way to Bayonne.  I think that is Bayonne in the distance.  Given the pace of the day (a rather slow day) those in the peloton may have actually had a chance to take in some of the views.  Then again, given how stretched out the group is, they were hard at it on their way into this tunnel.  

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-2023/3963458-15-297438/Painting/a-beautiful-day-out-tdf23-15.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 3: Easiest Alone

Yesterday's stage winner, Victor Lafay (Cofidis) decided he would to what he could to stay in the Maillot Vert of points leader for at least one more stage.  With two guys still up the road, he attacked the peloton prior to the intermediate sprint in Deba to pick up as many points as possible.  Knowing that there would be a mass dash for both this sprint and the finale, I guess he thought I have a much better chance of winning from a group of one.  It turned out to be the right move.  He didn't factor in the finale coming in 64th, but held enough points to be tied with the stage winner (more about that later).  And that was enough for him to hold onto 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-2023/3963454-14-297438/Painting/easiest-alone-tdf23-14.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 3: You Might Have a Problem

From the drop fo the flag that starts the stage Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) went on the attack in search of more points for his Maillot a Pois.  He was joined by only one other rider, Laurent Pichon (Arkea-Samsc).  As they were climbing the second climb of the day the Cote de Milloi, Powless pointed out that Pichon had a problem with his rear wheel.  It turned out that something was stuck to the tire and Pichon used his water bottle to knock it off.  There have been tacks thrown out onto the course for two stages thus far, fortunately they haven't cause any crashes yet.  It does help that most teams have sealents in their tires nowadays.

Least you think that Powless is being overly sporting, it is in his best interest to keep his break away companion with him.  Together it will be easier to hold off the peloton.  I doubt that Powless thought he would be allowed to be off the front this far into the stage, but as long as there isn't a hard chase he might as well keep adding to his KOM tally.

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-2023/3963441-13-297438/Painting/you-might-have-a-problem-tdf23-13.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 2: Fifteen Years!

I original wrote the title as "Sixteen Years!" because that was how long Phil Liggett said it had been since Cofidis had won a stage in the Tour de France.  As a French team, that is a terrible stat!  It is slightly better, it has been fifteen years (I reworked the title after photographing the painting). Victor Lafay (Cofidis) took full advantage of his outsider status, jumping from the back of the group with one kilometer to go.  Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) had chased everyone else down, so he didn't jump right away perhaps because he was confident that Lafay didn't have the legs to hold them all off.  Clearly, Wout miscalculated.  After the finish he pounded his handlebars in frustration.  Taking third (again) was Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) but that meant even more bonus seconds on the day.  Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) did well to come back from his first attempt to finish fifth, and you can just make out Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) finishing in seventh over Lafay's right shoulder.  Tomorrow the race will cross back into France in a day seemingly tailor made for the sprinters.  Will Cav get the magical 35th stage win in the Tour de France?

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-2023/3963336-12-297438/Painting/fifteen-years-tdf23-12.html

 

Tour de France 23, Stage 2: Taking a Peek

With a realitively small group of elite riders coming to the line together, those that weren't the best sprinters were trying to get a jump on the others.  First it was Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) pushing off the front on the descent.  Then, it was the Geman National Champion, Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) who opened up a bit of a gap on the Jumbo-Visma train lead by Wilco Kelderman and Tiesj Benoot.  On that duo's wheels was Biulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and the one everyone was watching, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).  Unfortunately, Buchmann was ultimately wheeled in by Wout himself.  He was the one who took on the task of chasing down every escapee.  Was that going to drain him for the finale?

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-2023/3963335-11-297438/Painting/taking-a-peek-tdf23-11.html