TOP RIDE: Inside the last 3km to the summit of the 21.5km Col du Glandon, the air gets thin as we approach 1924m elevation, the road tilts to 11% grades, and each meter seems longer than the last one. There's a reason they call this one 'Hors Category'.

Best of 2016 Vuelta Roadside: The 2016 Vuelta a España is in the Comunidad Valenciana and so we had to send our 'local' to see what was going on. This will be Alastair Hamilton's 15th Spanish Grand Tour and it sounds like he has not lost any love for the race in the sun.

Best Of 2016: The love of negroni by 'The Pez' is well known and he shares that liking with Chuck Peña. One of Chuck's favorite places for a meal and a negroni in Washington is Coppi's Organic Restaurant; the food, drink and atmosphere is great... and there is that big cycling connection.

The curtain has come down on 2016 and so the 'PEZ Crew' review the past season, the high points of yet another fun packed year. But this is a running Chris Froome free area (mostly). Peter Sagan gets the vote of rider of the year, Matt Hayman does the ride of the year, Steven Kruijswijk the big loser and Esteban Chaves the man to watch. Season '16 in a nut shell.

Tech n' Spec is one of the most popular sections of PEZ, so it would only be right to replay Charles Manantan's favourite bike review of 2016: Parlee Cycles build a beautiful, custom fabricated and finished tribute to the fastest family on two wheels and the race that is perhaps the most intense combination of speed, endurance, concentration and danger in the world.

TDF'16 Roadside: Day two for Ed was a definite mountain day; riders off the front and riders off the back and PEZ friend Dan McLay was in the latter group. From the Tour Village Ed takes in the two main climbs of the day and all the excitement that comes with them.

Lowdown: When asked for their favorite articles of the year, this 'Lowdown' from Lee Rodgers got the vote from our North American photographer, Darrell Parks. Lee sums up the all-encompassing pleasure and pain of this sport we love so much.