Bonjour! Stage 11 had a strong artistic connection. The stage began in Albi, the birthplace of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec – a true linesmith if ever there was one. The museum there has a great collection of his most famous pictures. I have always been struck by the fragility of them, being made as posters and painted on cardboard. Much of his art was made for advertising and not for grand salons. Not intended for long life, this art was made from the streets for the streets – and yet, thankfully, it has survived for us to enjoy to this day….one of my favourites!
The run-in to Toulouse took the riders on another blistering day, past sunflowers – fields of them. They remind me of Lautrec’s Dutch friend… but that’s another story and another sad one… These flowers are a great symbol of the Tour, yellow and strong, enduring and following the hot sun all day… Madness when you think about it for too long.
The drama exploded at the end of the stage with a sprint to the line between Caleb Ewan and Dylan Groenewegen once again right on the line. This time the Australian won through and took his first and well-deserved first stage win. With his wife and brand new daughter waiting to greet him, this was a lovely end to a golden day.
Here are my pictures… click on an image to see it full size.
Click on an image to see in full – Medium and measurements are listed below. Click here if you wish to enquire further
All images copyright Maxine Dodd.
For in-depth race analysis, delivered with fun and wit, I highly recommend ‘Velovoices’ but don’t forget to come back to ‘Racing Lines’ for the pictures!
Have a great day! 🙂
Maxine Dodd art 