Greig Leach

Contemporary figurative art created with oilsticks on paper, watercolors, stained glass and mixed media color based images of people, food, cycling and faith-based iconography
 
 

Photo Finish TdFF24-21

Just before she attacked the announcer, I am listenting to, Anthony McCrossan, said "She needs to wait, but she thinks she needs to attack early..." Predictably, Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM) was caught, and dropped after her attempt to surprise Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) failed in the final kilometer. Next to try was Pieterse who got the jump on the fading Niewiadoma and the patient Maillot Jaune. As she went, Vollering waited a beat and then did her best to catch the young neophyte. The two reached the line together in Liege. Neither celebrated nor did either know have any idea which one of them had won the stage. They stood together surrounded by a scrum of photographers, tv cameras, and reporters as they waited for over four minutes before it was announced that Pieterse had held on for the win. She had quite the stage, first she won a stage in the Tour de France Femmes in her first pro tour race, next she is now the leader of the Queen of the Mountains jersey, and finally, she is now the best young rider in the Tour. Not a bad day out. I admit I don't remember which of those two jerseys is considered the more important so I don't know which one she will be wearing at the start of stage 5 in Bastogne tomorrow.