Tour de France 23, Stage 7: You Gotta Try

 After the intermediate sprint, this duo of Nans Peters (Ag2r-Citroen) and Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) jumped clear of the peloton and chased down the lone leader, Simon Gugleilmi (Arkea-Samsic).  After catching him at the base of the only small climb of the day, they pressed on in a near futile effort to steal a stage from the sprinters and their teams.  Given the heat of the day, it was no surprise to see the motorcycle bedecked in Vittel water logos passing out bidons to riders along the road.  Yes, they both took one before the moto driver dropped back to find others who may need some hydration or a cooling spray.

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-2023/3964290-40-297438/Painting/you-gotta-try-tdf23-40.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 7: Friends Along the Way

Admittedly, you can't see that the guy with the striped shirt is holding a flare.  When this first came up on screen, I thought that Anthony Perez (Cofidis) was going to yell at the guy for setting of a flare as the peloton road by.  That was further inforced a milisecond later as the guy with the flare wasn't sure if he should high-five Perez or what.  Actually, Perez stopped and the two embraced with joy and fondness (flare still held pointing away from the Cofidis rider.  I figure the orange umbrella wasn't enough of a marker to help Perez find them, so the flare was actually being use to the purpose for which it was intended.  After a momentary visit, Perez rejoined the tail of the peloton and got back to racing 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-2023/3964239-39-297438/Painting/friends-along-the-way-tdf23-38.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 7: A Dress Rehearsal

The intermediate sprint in Grignols was an opportunity for the sprinters to stretch their legs and see if they were feeling good for the finale.  Of course, there are points available in the competition to wear the Maillot Vert being sported by Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck).  Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) has been slowly gathering points in most every sprint, but today the best of the rest went to Biniam Girmay (Intermache-Circus-Wanty).  I say best of the rest, because the lone break away of Simon Gugleilmi (Arkea-Samsic) was still up the road.  A number of other sprinters gave it a go, but it was these three who got the maximum points still available.  Is this any hint for the end of the stage in Bordeaux?

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-2023/3964223-38-297438/Painting/a-dress-rehearsal-tdf23-39.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 7: All by Himself

The phrase 'suicide mission' was use to describe this attack by Simon Guglielmi (Arkea Samsic).  He went off the front from the very start of the stage, and original had two guys with him.  They soon realized the follow of trying to make a break away stick to the finish on a day designed for the sprinters.  Guglielmi decided to press on.  One never knows what might happen in the peloton, so it may work, but the odds are not in his favor.  

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-2023/3964220-37-297438/Painting/all-by-himself-tdf23-37.html  

Tour de France 23, Stage 6: Getting Some Back

It was a bold move that did more to restore some of Tadej Pogacar's (UAE Team Emirates) than effect the overall lead of the Tour.  But it did move him back up the four places he had lost the day before.  Knowing full well that he had entertained the crowd at the top of the Cauterets Cambasque (as well as millions and millions of cycling fans around the world), he bows to their applause both heard and sensed.  He put 24 seconds into his rival in the closing two and a half kilometrs, and another four bonus seconds more than Jonas Vingegaard than who finished second on the stage.  Vingegaard is now in yellow just a mere 25 seconds ahead of the white jersey wearing Pogacar..  They both have over a minute over Jai Hindley who had started the day in Yellow.  He now sits third, with the previous Yellow Jersey almost another two minutes back in fourth.

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-2023/3964152-36-297438/Painting/getting-some-back-tdf23-36.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 6: "I'm Not Done Yet!"

All of yesterday's commentary, and even the start of today, was about how the Tour was over and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) was just going to ride away from everyone else in the field as he had in Stage 5.  Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) had something to say to everyone about that in the final three kilometers of the final climb of the day.  Just as Vingegaard had attacked him on the Col du Tourmalet, Pogacar went hard with just two and a half kilometers to climb.  Flipping the script, this time it was Vingegaard unable to match the climbing prowess of Pogacar.  There wasn't enough road left for the White Jersey to reverse all of his lost time from the day before, but this move had to be a huge lift to the morale.  Conversely, while I am sure Vingegaard would love to have taken out the stage, but I am sure he will consoled by his new Maillot Jaune.

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-2023/3964123-35-297438/Painting/im-not-done-yet-tdf23-35.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 6: Still Stuck Together

Once Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) had given every last ounce of strength he had, we all expected hi teammate Jonas Vingegaard to attack Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) again.  But instead the pair remained stuck together with every meter they climbed towards the top of Carterets Cambasque.  Just three more kilometers to go, would either be able to put any time into the other?

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-2023/3964121-34-297438/Painting/still-stuck-together-tdf23-34.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 6: Fliming the Favorites

It takes quite an operation to get all of the shots of the Tour de France that tell us this exciting story.  This shows us two of the ways that is done.  We can see the cameraman on the back of the motorcycle filming Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) glued to the rear wheel of his primary rival, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) who in turned is tucked in behind his teammate, Wout Van Aert.  Just peeking into the frame is the Maillot a Pois Virtuale, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost).  This quartet had just another eleven kilometers to climb up the Cauterets Cambasque and the end of the stage.  Will they simply ride together to summit, or is somebody going to attack the other?

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-2023/3964113-33-297438/Painting/filming-the-favorites-tdf23-33.html

Tour de France 23, Stage 6: Doing It Again!

Just like yesterday, Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) drove the pace on the front of the group dropping one contender after the other, including the new Maillot Jaune on the shoulders of Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe).  Once the American had done what he could and swung off the front, it was time for the awaited attack from Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).  That is the exact scenario from yesterday, but today, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) was up for the challenge.  At least he was when the Danish rider went on the Col du Tourmalet.

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-2023/3964079-32-297438/Painting/doing-it-again-tdf23-32.html  

Tour de France 23, Stage 6: Polka Dots, Virtually

I kind of stumbled when titling this painting.  I meant to write "Virtual Polka Dots" but when working with ink and with watercolors, you have to learn to accept your mistakes and then figure out a way to make them work.  The same could be said for Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost).  He missed the early break, but put in the effort to chase them down.  He went over the previous climb first uncontested.  Now he was being challenged at the summit of the Cat 1 Col d'Aspin by Gorka Izagirre (Movistar) as Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) looked on.  Van Aert was the man that went from the moment Prudhomme waved the flag that started the stage.  Clearly, he was on a mission today.  The question is, what is that missioin?  Is he riding for the stage, or is he setting something up for his team leader deep into the final kilometers 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-2023/3964044-31-297438/Painting/polka-dots-virtually-tdf23-31.html