Canvassing Opinion: Painting the Giro d’Italia

Canvassing Opinion: Painting the Giro d’Italia

Venice in pink, the bunch dreams and ‘Grazie Fausto’: Jeff Parr captures the spirit of the Giro on canvas


Stage 1 on the Giro and the Bunch Dreams
In this painting I have imagined, in semi-abstract form, the individual riders in the peloton dreaming of winning the first stage. The fame and honour of wearing the pink jersey, even if only for one day, would be a reputation built forever. National flags are positioned on each rider’s race number illustrating how international modern cycling has become.

 

Venice in Pink

This is a celebration of the Giro’s 2009 centenary opening stage team time-trial in Venice (the date is shown on the clock). The painting is my imaginary portrayal of the occasion where two rival Italian teams pass each other. Pink is the overriding colour adorning the ancient city – the gondola mooring poles, the falling clouds of confetti, the cheering crowd of Venetian masks. Even the pink decorative bricks are undergoing a metamorphosis into the trademark globe of the sponsor’s logo – a fantasy scene enacted under the gaze of the Venetian winged lion.


Grazie Fausto
This is my homage to Fausto Coppi. The main image is his pink maglia rosa but I’ve placed the map of his passion – Italy – as a sweat stain seeping from his heart. Also, there are the sacred colours of his Bianchi jersey and bike. The numbers, shown as race numbers, are the years of his victories in the Giro d’Italia. The background is an abstract representation of the Dolomites, scene of some of his greatest exploits.

Jeff Parr Velo Art

The post Canvassing Opinion: Painting the Giro d’Italia appeared first on The world's finest cycling magazine.

READ MORE

The race to a million: are seven-figure salaries the best way to grow women's cycling?

The race to a million: are seven-figure salaries the best way to grow women's cycling?

Will it be Paula Blasi? Or have Demi Vollering and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot already beaten the Spanish sensation to the million-Euro annual salary mark? That's only...

Read more
How Franziska Koch became cycling's latest big star: 'It's taken me by surprise'

How Franziska Koch became cycling's latest big star: 'It's taken me by surprise'

FDJ United-Suez scouts deserve a raise: Franziska Koch has been nothing short of a revelation in the 2026 season

Read more
Business as usual: Does the Tour de France ever get old for riders or their families?

Business as usual: Does the Tour de France ever get old for riders or their families?

The average number of Tour de France appearances per rider this year is approximately 3.4 participations. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed debutants have been making headlines enough...

Read more
'Haters gonna hate': Pogačar steals the show on Bastille Day

'Haters gonna hate': Pogačar steals the show on Bastille Day

France dreamed of a local victor on its national day. Instead, Tadej Pogačar lit up stage 10 with another trademark attack. Begrudged 'chapeaus' abound in...

Read more
Tadej Pogačar celebrates on the podium in the yellow jersey during the 2026 Tour de France.

'It's not Pogačar's fault he's so good' - Eddy Merckx on the Tour de France's current generation of GC stars

The five-time yellow jersey winner is still an avid watcher of the sport – he tells Rouleur his thoughts on the Pogačar-era of bike racing

Read more
Bastille Day at the Tour: can a Frenchman end the wait?

Bastille Day at the Tour: can a Frenchman end the wait?

Bastille Day is the biggest day of the year for French cycling fans, and the wait for a home winner has dragged on since Warren...

Read more

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE