Greig Leach

Having missed the opportunity to paint the Tour Down Under this year due to Covid (restrictions on crowds and sporting events - not on my contracting the virus), I decided to start painting the 2021 season with the start of the Belgium cobble races. So here goes for 2021 and the Omloop Het Neiuwsbald. And here it goes for the break away that went off the front a kilometer zero. So the title is from the beginning of my season of painting, and from the beginning of today's racing. Five got away and build up almost four minutes on the peloton behind including, Yeveniy Fedorov (Astana), Kenny Deketele (sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Matis Bouvel (Arkea Samsic), Ryan Gibbons (UAE-Team Emirates) and Bert De Backer (B&B Hotels). It was De Backer who is leading them through the narrow twisting roads that seems to define racing in Belgium. Well that and the cobbles and short steep climbs.