Greig Leach

With apologies I couldn't resist this titled. In fact, I came up with the title before I created this watercolor. You see, Amber Leone Neben for the United States of America is the oldest women competing in Flanders this year. At 46 years old she is five years older than anyone else in the race, and she is from the States, so thus the title. It is also a riff on the obsessively formal manner that US Senators will use when addressing each other, think, "The elder statesman from Ohio" for example. But enough about the title, Neben was burning up the course and took a new second place as she crossed the line in Brugge. Alas, two out of the three women behind her posted just slightly better times, so she ended her time trial in fourth overall. For comparison, the winner was young enough to be her daughter. I point this out not because she is a woman, but she gives hope and faith to all of us older cyclists. Plus, it belies the ridiculous (now gone) rule for a median age of a team for women's cycling.