Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 2: Getting Herself Sorted

Today has been a day of touching wheels.  Seeming no serious injuries, but a day of crashes and road rash plagued the first of two stages today.  With another 54 kilometers of the 69 kilometer stage Nina Berton (Ceratizit-WNT) went down by herself, leaving a bit of her skin on the road towards Rottendam.  She is wearing a yellow race number which signifies that she is on the best placed team in the team competition.  She was able to get her chain back on and get underway before her team car arrived to provide aid.

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

"Getting Herself Sorted TdFF24-6" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 1: Clearly Her's

You've got a love a stage that doesn't go as expected.  Everyone was sure that it would be the lead-out of SD Worx-Protime that would deliver Lorena Wiebes to the line for the win and the first Maillot Jaune of this Tour de France Femmes.  But, no, that isn't how it happened, in fact, she finished 41st in the opening stage.  Instead, it was Charlotte Kool (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) winning by a clear margin to claim the first leader's jersey of this Tour de France Femmes.  Taking second is the Finnish champion, Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno X-Mobility) which was enough for her to claim the Maillot Blanc of best young rider.  Kool also claimed the Maillot Vert, but that will be worn at the start tomorrow by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike).

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

"Clearly Her's TdFF24-5" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 1: Collecting Points

With the peloton now all back together, the sprinters were sprinting for maximum points at the intermediate sprint in Groeneweg.  I think I now know where the sprinter Dylan Groeneweggen's name comes from now.  It was Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) showing that she still has the sprint legs that won her the Silver Medal at the Paris Olympics road race just over a week ago.  She got the better of Australian champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv-Alula-Jayco) and Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck).  Her points were enough for her to finish the day in second place in the race for the Maillot Vert.  She will be wearing that jersey at the start of the day tomorrow since the leader in that competition will be wearing the Maillot Jaune instead.  I must say that I prefer the special jersey that the women's Visma-Lease a Bike team has over the one worn by the men in their Tour.  The female symbol on the front and back just makes it that much better.

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

"Collecting Points TdFF24-4" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 1: Confirming Her Queenship

The next to try a slip the grip of the peloton was Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi).  No one joined the Italian on the Basque team, but she was still able to build a minute's advantage on those behind.  She had little hope of going solo for the next 60 kilometers, but she did have another goal in mind.  As she came up out of the Maddadeltatunnel under the river, she looked back to make sure no one had bridged up to her (sorry about the soft pun).  With no one behind her, she confirmed that she will be the first to wear the Maillot a Pois of the Queen of the Mountains.  Calling it a mountain might be a bit of a stretch compared to what his coming, but then it isn't like there are many climbs to be found in the Netherlands.  This may be the first stage of either the men's or the women's Tour de France to have sections that are below sea level.

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

"Confirming Her Queenship TdFF24-3" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 1: Not Letting Us Go

There was little chance of a breakaway going the distance today, but that didn't stop some from trying.  With 100 kilometers to race Iurani Blanco (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi) looked back to find the peloton closing in.  She had gone off the front and build about a twenty second advantage with her companions Gaia Masetti (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Canyon/SRAM) before the peloton decided they weren't going to be allowed to ride away.  It is much easier on the teams of the sprinters to keep the race together than it is to chase a breakaway down at the end 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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Not Letting Us Go TdFF24-2" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Tour de France Femmes '24, Stage 1: Kicking It Off

There was a bit of a delay getting the Tour de France Femmes started due to small crashes and mechanicals throughout the peloton in the neutral start in Rotterdam.  Once everyone was back into the group it was Marion Rousse popping out of the director's car to wave the flag that signals the start of this year's Tour de France Femmes.  Perhaps she should have considered a different style of dress for this moment.  With her hair pulled back and a halter dress, it appears that she isn't wearing anything as she starts the 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 work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Kicking It Off TdFF24-1" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Track Cycling Keirin Semi Finals: Winding Up

Coming from road cycling, this is a rather rare site (except just before a rider gets disqualified).  The Keirin starts with a specific order of riders following the Demy around for the first three laps as it slowly increases it speed.  After the second laps riders are free to change their order behind the Demy.  After the third lap the motorbike pulls off and the race is on!  As they speed up it is Matilda Gros (France) followed in turn by Katie Marchant (Great Britain) and Emma Hinze (Germany).  Alas, the Frenchwoman did not make it through to the finals, yet both the German and the Brit are through to vie for another medal to add to the ones they have already have in the team track cycling events.

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

"Winding Up PO24-82" (Original art by Greig Leach)

 

Paris Olympics 2024, Men's Track Cycling Omnium Tempo Race: Chasing the Italian

In the second event in the Men's Omnium is the Tempo Race.  The riders amass points by either winning lap sprints (1 point) or by lapping the peloton (20 points).  Whomever amasses the most points by the end of the 40 laps of the velodrome wins the race, however the points they win do not carry over into the Omnium points total.  With just a lap or two to go, Elia Viviani (Italy) decided he should earn at least one point, meaning he should hold eighth by the end of the second event.  Chasing the Italian is another road cyclist, Ethan Hayter (Great Britain).  He finished one place behind Viviani.

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

"Chasing the Italian PO24-81" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Track and Field Men's Javelin Throw: Outta Here

The Javelin Throw is such a very specific Olympic discipline.  I can see it being vital when the Games began in ancient Greece, but now... not so much.  Regardless, having faulted in his first throw, Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan) let fly with a huge throw of almost 95 meters.  For those unversed in metric, that is over the length of an American football field.  He didn't throw that far again in his ensuing attempts, but it was more than enough for the Gold Medal.  It was the first and thus far only medal for Pakistan.  

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

"Outta Here PO24-80" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Track and Field Men's 200 Meters: Running for Mom

Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) was running not only with his legs, but with his heart also.  His mother had passed away this year and it was her dream to see him race in the Olympics.  Clearly that wouldn't be possible, but he did run with her name and birthdate on his shoes.  Equally clear was that he had that extra lift to outsprint a field of great athletes to take the only Gold Medal (or any medal for that matter) for his country.  And the only Gold for his continent in the men's 200 ever.  Rounding out the podium are Kenneth Bednarek (USA) taking Silver - he is at the bottom of the frame - and Noah Lyles (USA) for the Bronze running in the lane just inside of Tebogo.  Lyles had hoped to do the double Gold in both of the men's sprints, but Tebogo's mother intervened.

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

"Running for Mom PO24-79" (Original art by Greig Leach)