For some reason the image is still repeating for me when I open in Gmail. (I have the enclosing statement later in the code.)
<td style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;mso-table-lspace:
0pt;mso-table-rspace: 0pt;word-break: break-word;-webkit-hyphens: none;-moz-hyphens:
none;hyphens: none;border-collapse: collapse;background-image:${heroBackground};background-
color:green;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;background-position: center;"
bgcolor="green" background="${heroBackground}" valign="top">
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
<v:rect xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" fill="true" stroke="false"
style="mso-width-percent:1000">
<v:fill type="frame" src="${heroBackground}" color="#7C64C3" />
<v:textbox style="mso-fit-shape-to-text:true" inset="0,0,0,0">
<div>
<div style="font-size: 0;line-height: 0;margin: 0;border: 0">
<![endif]-->