The road season is already history and the year is quietly drawing to an end. 2024 was undoubtedly the year of Tadej Pogačar! What supremacy this young man from Slovenia demonstrated... That other riders were able to walk away with beautiful victories seemed only possible because Pogačar was not at the start. Of course there was also Remco Evenepoel, who was undoubtedly the best in the time trial and, in the absence of the Slovenian, took the Olympic road race in a spectacular way. 2024 was also the year in which then-reigning world champion Mathieu van der Poel rode a great spring with wins in E3 Saxo Classic Harelbeke, Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. Despite the demonstrations Mathieu shook out of his sleeve there, we were still a little hungry due to the absence of unlucky rider Wout van Aert. That 2024 was a truly unlucky year for Van Aert would prove later in the season. Peaking twice and showing twice that you are leaning towards your absolute best, but then...smack against the asphalt. In addition to the physical suffering, it must have been very hard on Wout mentally. The fact that he continues to show his fighting spirit and positivity says everything about the heart and mentality of the man from Herentals. Chapeau Wout! Jasper Philipsen is also more than worth a mention. In addition to winning Milan-San Remo and three stages in the Tour, what stands out is that Jasper finished the season in third place in the UCI ranking. Talk about a great rider! Jasper is the perfect bridge to talk a little about Mark Cavendish as well. In this issue we pay attention to this absolute best in the history of cycling. Cavendish can arguably be called the best sprinter of all time. Driven by statistics and records, Cav continued to strive for his 35th stage victory in the Tour during the years when things were not going so well. What a career this man has had, congratulations Mark! We have enjoyed a great cycling season immensely, but Cyclelive Magazine is mostly about enjoying cycling itself! That is why we are always looking for new challenges, different paths and wonderful new destinations to discover all the beauty the world has to offer. Cyclelive Magazine biked in so many different places this year where we were always amazed by the diversity, splendor and expressions that nature gives us all over the world. Traveling and touring by bicycle enriches you over and over again. Experience culture, history, gastronomy and art while keeping your body in motion. With the bicycle you see more, experience things differently, go into more detail and have many more possibilities than with any other means of transportation. In this issue we take you, among other things, while cycling to the beautiful white villages in the wonderful Axarquia region in Spanish Andalusia. Sometimes we don’t quite understand why fanatic cyclists keep returning to the same region or even the same village/town. We think cycling should be discovery and adventure in addition to training. Spain is therefore much more than Girona, Calpe or Benidorm. Maybe it’s time for you as a reader to do a little exploring too? In this new FREE issue of Cyclelive Magazine you will find many more tips for great cycling destinations where there is plenty to experience and discover, on and off the bike. So I wish all our readers a lot of fun reading, a cartload of guts to step out of your regular cycling lifestyle patterns and a wonderful end of year celebration! Patrick Van Gansen