That is it. I have no idea when SBNation plans to show the location off (read-only mode), however I assume it’s by January 1.

First issues first, as I’ve signaled earlier than, the FSA Directeur Sportif is cued up for one more go-round. Undecided about 2026, however 2025 is on. I can’t deprive myself of the possibility to cost Tadej Pogačar after his megamonster 12 months. Or deprive all of you of the dilemma that value will pose. I might by no means look Ursula within the eye once more if I missed this opportunity. The directions for enjoying are easy: simply go to the FSA DS website and login. By February 1, 2025, it’s best to discover all the things you want there. Although not sooner (keep tuned).

Different stuff…

I’m busily organising a WordPress weblog for if (okay, when) I do get the itch to write down. And please be at liberty to proceed chatting at our Reddit.

I might be adopted on Twitter, or Threads (chrsfnt), or Bluesky (chrispodiumcafe). As is true for a lot of of you. Please do comply with me there so I can comply with you again. Please publish in feedback another hyperlinks you desire to individuals to find out about.

I like to recommend following Michael Baumann’s Wheelysports publication, which I discover to be similar to our strategy right here. Michael is an expert author, largely about baseball, for a few of my favourite pubs, but it surely’s solely a matter of time earlier than he publicly admits that his true sports activities love is the Tour of Flanders. [That’s my guess. I don’t know him well, just corresponded a bit, but I have a keen sense of who might be a cobbles addict.]

*****

I received’t miss the biking, as a result of the present, as all the time, goes on. I received’t miss Belgium or Italy as a result of I intend to go there once more, with a motorcycle or two. I received’t miss using as a result of I plan to start out all of that up once more within the spring. I received’t miss the nice tales of the previous 20 years as a result of I can revisit them. I confess, I do like simply writing, I’m useless that manner, however no matter I wanted to say, I completed up saying it already. That’s a life lesson. Not all journeys are infinite. [Except, of course, Journey’s. That’s another life lesson, about what vanity really looks like. I digress…]

However I’ll miss the group. It was all the time in regards to the group. I keep in mind within the earliest days you possibly can name up a world map which might present the place individuals had logged in from. San Francisco! Minneapolis! Brussels!! Riga! The place is Riga? It was fascinating, and although anecdotal at first, it did turn out to be an precise group, not simply wired collectively however related, in that thrilling manner that sports activities brings individuals collectively.

I had the privilege of being a central determine right here, however that’s not what I’ll keep in mind most. What I’ll take with me is an accident of geography, being nearly farthest from the motion (time-zone-wise) such that by the point I’d present as much as the reside chat, everybody was already there. The Cafe that I walked into so many mornings, latte in hand, was a constructing filled with previous mates, buzzing with exercise and chatter, jokes and race-talk, with an enormous display bringing the motion to all of us. Realizing there was all the time a spot to take a seat, a race to observe, and good mates to observe it with… that’s what it was all the time about. Thanks.