The sprinting speed is amazing powered by strong legs. The end of a stage, and this is the sprinters moment. The bikes are waggling wildy from side-to-side. They’ve been supported along the way and now it is time to get sprinting. The strong arms locking to keep their bodies low and aerodynamic. No more looking back. Sprinting flat out. It’s head down to get the bike to the line first. Sprinters doing what they do.
None of the lead-out men were in the last 300 metres. It was up to the fan’s favourites. No sign of the Shark of the Strait, Nibali defending his title, but André Greipel was looking for and found his opening to the left of the road. Swinging across the other riders shifting away from the other competitive sprinters. His upper body strength and his style of riding earning him the moniker “Gorilla of Rostock”, he was sprinting powerfully to ensure he stayed in the green jersey.
Acknowledged by fellow riders as a gentleman rider, this does not mean he does not want to go all out to win. By using his powerful muscle and his head Greipel beat the green jersey expert, “the Bear” Sagan, and the “Manx Missile”, Cavendish. This was the Gorilla’s second win of the 2015 Le Tour de France on stage 5.
If you like sprinters then also take a look at the story behind The Great Bear.
Painting: Gorilla Sprint
“Gorilla Sprint’ was created on a 80 x 60 cm primed canvas on stretchers. Painted with brush using Winsor & Newton water-soluble oils, thinner and linseed oil, framed in white-limed wood.
There was no sprinting whilst creating this painting. It was important to build the layers up slowly to keep the colours clean. Each rider starting at the back gradaully built up. A lot of drying time before the final white mixes applied.
