The Art of Cycling

Thursday, July 15, 2021

TDF, Stage 18: Collateral Damage

Do I need to defind collateral damage? Ineos-Grenadiers have spent countless Tours de France setting a relentless pace on the front of the peloton slowly eliminating their competition on climb after climb. They are doing the same this Tour, but with much different results. Yes, there pace on the front cracked Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-Nippo) on the climb of the Col du Tourmalet. However, they also cracked the guy who has one the Tour for them in the past, Geraint Thomas. He has suffered this Tour after dislocating his shoulder in the early crashes in the early stages of the Tour, but the whole team (with two notable exceptions) just aren't living up to what is normally expected of them. Perhaps they just aren't having any fun on their bikes anymore. I am sure they were all riding hoping to move their newly designated leader, Richard Carapaz into at least second place on the GC. I suspect they felt he could get that fugitive stage victory for the team today as well.

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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824240-118-291436/Painting/collateral-damage-tdf21-117.html

TDF, Stage 18: Oh, Well

"Oh, well," may not have been what this head gesture meant for Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious), but I am sure it was what he felt. He and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) had worked hard off the front, but nevertheless, Valentin Madous (Groupama-FDJ) and his teammate David Gaudu pulled Ruben Guerreiro (EF Education-Nippo) and the rest of the chasers up to their wheels as they climbed the Col du Tourmalet. With 30 kilometers to race, they were all hoping to vie for stage honors on the last mountain stage of the 2021 Tour de France.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824239-117-291436/Painting/oh-well-tdf21-116.html

TDF, Stage 18: Ensuring Green Is His

Before I started writing this, I thought I best double check the math. There are still 140 points available in the competition for the Maillot Vert. So while it is mathematically possible that Michael Matthews (BikeEschange) could taken the jersey off of the shoulders of Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick Step) it is unlikely that he will. In today's intermediate sprint (and every previous sprint) Matthews just couldn't come around the Manx Missles. Each man had their respective lead out guys, Michael Morkov for Cav and Luka Mezgec for Matthews. And each lead out man had to slow to allow their guy to get the most points available. However, Morkov made sure he crossed the sprint point ahead of Matthews, giving Cav a gain of two points in the competition. None of these guys will be around the front of the race for the finish of today's stage atop Luz Ardiden.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824233-116-291436/Painting/ensuring-green-is-his-tdf21-115.html

TDF, Stage 18: Get on My Wheel

I so identified with this moment in the early kilometers of the stage today. I have been caught by some riders behind while on a century ride. They came up behind and as they approached they called out, "Get on our wheel!" Giving me a long draft until I was able to pull my own weight. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick Step) had gone off the front in hopes of joining the three guys up the road. He was stuck in the middle until Pierre-Luc Perichon (Cofidis) caught up with the World Champion. As Perichon came by, he tapped Alaphilippe on the back and told him to grab his wheel. The two Frenchmen then crossed to the leaders on the road. Ironically, it wasn't long before Perichon lost the wheels of the break but Alaphilippe was able to press on with the effort.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824217-115-291436/Painting/get-on-my-wheel-tdf21-114.html

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

TDF, Stage 17: Winning in Yellow

Everyone who has ever won a Tour de France wants to win a stage while wearing the Yellow Jersey. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) has already won a stage, but it was the time trial way back at the start of the Tour. He wasn't in yellow then, nor could he throw his arms in the air in a victory salute (since it wasn't a sure bet that he had won the stage when he finished his ride). Today he stamped his authority on the 2021 Tour. He sprinted away from the other two he had been with to celebrate a win while leading the Tour. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) recovered from being drop a kilometer to go to take second on the stage. His time bonus gave him a slight advantage on the third place of Richard Carapaz (Ineos-Grenadiers). However those two are still separated by just four seconds. I suspect that the guy with the flag of Belium must have been looking for Wout Van Aerts to (Jonas Vingegaard's teammate) to take the stage.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at www.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/2021-Tour-de-France/3824096-114-291436/Painting/winning-in-yellow-tdf21-113.html

TDF, Stage 17: Hitting Hard

The end of the climb of the Col du Portet had come down to a three way race between the top three riders on GC. Well it had been the top four, but Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-Nippo) - in second place at the start of the day - had been dropped by these three. Richard Carapaz (Ineos-Grenadiers) had been refusing to take a turn on the front, and pulling faces imply that he couldn't pull through. According to the post race interview by Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) he and Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) knew that he was bluffing. So when the Ecuadorian attacked they were ready for it. While Carapaz opened a gap, it was soon closed by the Maillot Jaune, not that he needed to. It took about 600 meters for Vingegaard to catch back on but he did. So the three were destined to sprint it out at the top for the stage victory. And for Carapaz and Vingegaard they started the day only a second apart, so they would be sprinting to decide their place in the general classification.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824089-113-291436/Painting/hitting-hard-tdf21-112.html

TDF, Stage 17: Climbing Again

I enjoy the chance to use a title that may have more than one meaning. In this case, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) was literally climbing again, as in up the Col du Portet. As he passed the four kilometers to go banner, the mountain seemed to disappear into the mist of the low clouds hugging the mountain top. But he was also climbing back up the general classification, or so I thought. Actually, he held his eleventh position on the general classification, but narrowed the gap to tenth place. He also held his third place in the best young rider's competition, but he did solidify his third place in the race for the Maillot Blanc.

And then he did finish in fourth on the stage, delighting the French fans along the road and watching around the world.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824087-112-291436/Painting/climbing-again-tdf21-111.html

TDF, Stage 17: Who Can Respond?

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) has a five and a half minute lead over the rest of the peloton, so he really only needed to stay within site of his main GC rivals. But that isn't his style. Once his last remaining teammate swung off on the climb of the Col du Portet, he launch and attack from the front of the group. At first it was only Jonathan Castroveijo (Ineos-Grenadiers) who could match the acceleration. But when he realized that his team leader, Richard Carapaz wasn't coming, he back of just a bit. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) upped his paced and caught back up, as did Carapaz a little later. The true victim of the attack was Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-Nippo) who lost some big time today, and his step of the current podium.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824084-111-291436/Painting/who-can-respond-tdf21-110.html

TDF, Stage 17: What Can We Do?

The main contenders road behind the Maillot Jaune wondering just how they were going to upset his lead of over five minutes in the general classification. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) has seemed invincible in the climbs through the Alps, and it doesn't seem as if the Pyrennes are going to be any different. He still has one last teammate, Rafal Majka, setting such a pace that none of those behind could launch an attack with just eight kilometers left to ride in the stage. On the wheel of Pogacar was Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) with his American teammate, Sepp Kuss. Behind that quartet, Jonathan Castroveijo (Ineos-Grenadiers) looks over at his leader, Richard Carapaz, seemingly asking, "What can we do?" Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Ben O'Connor (Ag2r-Citroen) were two more left to follow the wheel of the probable winner of the 2021 Tour de France.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824077-110-291436/Painting/what-can-we-do-tdf21-109.html

TDF, Stage 17: Neutral Service

While I miss the bright yellow of the Mavic service vehicles, I would much rather ride Shimano components. My first race bike, way back in the 70s had Simplex and Mavic parts, and the Shimano groupset I have now is so much better. Unfortunately for Estaban Chaves (BikeExchange) he had a flat tire and the base of the final climb of the day, the Col du Portet. Never a good time to have a mechanical, but it was even worse with his team car so far down the road. That is the point of having neutral service. They ride behind each group on the road (until there are just too many groups) ready to lend support to whomever may need it. It was a quick change and Chaves was able to catch back onto the splintering peloton further up the climb.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/2021-Tour-de-France/3824068-109-291436/Painting/neutral-service-tdf21-108.html