The 2026 road season is already just around the corner. We do not dare to make predictions, but would like to briefly look back on the previous season. 2025 was once again the year of Tadej Pogačar! What a force majeure this young man from Slovenia displayed. Winner of Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne, Liège– Bastogne–Liège, the Tour of Lombardy, and a fourth overall victory in the Tour de France, as well as European and World Road Champion. Only Eddy Merckx has ever achieved such a list of honours in a single season. The fact that Wout van Aert was the only rider who could truly unleash the Slovenian phenom- enon made us squeal with joy during the final stage of the Tour de France. His impressive stage victories in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour once again demonstrated his resilience. Other honourable mentions go to Simon Yates, overall winner of the Giro d’Italia and a stage winner in the Tour de France, and to Jonas Vingegaard, with his second place in the Tour de France and overall victory—plus three stage wins—in the Vuelta a España. thing you buy that makes you richer. And, according to St. Augustine, life is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. A truth we might rephrase as: “Those who don’t travel always read the same page of the book.” The fact that there was still some competition in major races in which the Slovenian started was largely thanks to Mathieu van der Poel, who managed to beat him in two Monuments. Of course, there was also Remco Evenepoel of Belgium, without a doubt the very best time trialist, and—after the Slovenian phenome- non—the “best of the rest” in many one-day races. However, Remco was never able to truly trouble Tadej in a road race. It was simply a matter of watching and letting it happen when the Slovenian attacked. We therefore have the impression that Tadej almost never had to go deep to win. He wins without having to push his limits—and that may be the most worrying thing of all for the competition. It is certainly true that there were other Belgians in the peloton besides Remco and Wout. Tim Merlier once again rode a phenomenal season, with no fewer than 16 UCI victories—exactly the same number as in 2024. Jasper Philipsen, on the other hand, endured a difficult season marked by some bad luck, and despite his seven UCI victories, he will still look back on 2025 with a slight sense of disappointment. Who will certainly not be disappointed is Tim Wellens, who rode solo to the Belgian national title and also claimed a stage victory in the Tour de France while wearing the Belgian champion’s jersey. Go on an adventure in 2026 We truly enjoyed a great cycling season, but Cyclelive Magazine is mainly about enjoying cy- cling itself. That is why we are always looking for new challenges, different paths, and beautiful new destinations in order to discover the beauty the world has to offer. After all, a trip is the only Cyclelive Magazine cycled to many different places this year, and we were constantly amazed by the diversity, beauty, and adventure that nature offers all over the world. Travelling and exploring by bike enriches you time and time again. You experience culture, history, gastronomy, and art while keeping your body moving. On a bicycle, you see more, experience things differently, go into greater detail, and have far more options than with any other means of transport. In this new FREE issue of Cyclelive Magazine, we take you cycling to various beautiful des- tinations. We believe that cycling should be about discovery and adventure, in addition to training. Life offers so much more than repeatedly going on cycling holidays to Girona, Calpe, or Benidorm—or endlessly riding the same local loops. Perhaps it is time, as a reader, to explore a little more. 2025 was also the year in which Mathieu van der Poel enjoyed a great spring, with victories in Milan–San Remo, the E3 Saxo Classic Harelbeke, and Paris–Roubaix. He was the only rider able to go head-to-head with the Slovenian in some Monuments—and even beat him. I wish all our readers a great deal of reading pleasure—and the courage to step outside your regular cycling patterns! Patrick Van Gansen