As the final days of 2022 wind down and the start of the 2023 professional cycling season quickly approaches, I thought it would be instructive (as well as just fun), to take stock of who the sport’s elite riders are at each major discipline heading into 2023 to give us a clearer view of what to expect when these major events roll around.

More cold weather gear from GORE, Silca breast cancer awareness campaign benefitting the Tadej Pogačar Cancer Research Foundation, Muc-Off launches crank preload ring, Motoki Yoshio x Colnago with an artistic version of the C68, 100copies New Bicycle Art Edition #52 - Cyclemorphosis and The Road Book 2022 now available.

Going through the end-of-season statical rankings to determine who was actually the best rider of the 2022 season. Spencer Martin runs through who are the top men, who has moved up, who needs to bounce back and he looks back at the big races of 2022.

At the end of an exciting Il Lombardia Tadej Pogačar repeated his win of last year in Lombardy, this time out-sprinting Enric Mas with Mikel Landa a hundred metres behind in third place. Sergio Higuita and Carlos Rodríguez were at 52 seconds and Alejandro Valverde at over 1 minute in 6th place.

DMT Pogi’s, new limited edition signed by Tadej Pogačar, Ass Savers Win Wing – A minimalist approach to maximum performance, Factor Bikes new gravel bike, Café du Cycliste new eyewear | New Lara for AW22, new Pirelli Cinturato Gravel S, the most offroad tread pattern and SockGuy releases new designs for fall and Halloween.

Tadej Pogačar won a tough edition of the GP de Montréal on Sunday. After 221 kilometres of racing in the Canadian city, he was the first to finish on Avenue du Parc. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates beat Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in a hard sprint from a leading group of five. Andrea Bagioli finished third.

Ever since Eddy Merckx hung up his racing wheels there have been many pretenders to his throne, but all have come up short. Our regular contributor, Nikolai Razouvaev – ‘The Russian Crank’ has sent his thoughts on the subject of the 'next Merckx' to fellow 'ranter' Ed Hood. Can Tadej Pogačar measure up to 'Big Ted'?

Tadej Pogačar won stage 17 after his team punched much harder than everyone expected, but he couldn't dislodge Jonas Vingegaard from his wheel and is still 2:18 behind the Dane on GC. There were a few changes on the overall standings, but everyone lost time to the two top men - Vingegaard and Pogačar.

We are now in the most important part of any Grand Tour, the third and final week. It could all be turned upside down in one stage. First Ed Hood looks back at week 3 and all the stories that caught his Tour de France eye. Stage 10 through to stage 15.