At Christmas, we're all a bit kinder and more serene. But it's also an ideal moment to stop and reflect on the topics close to our hearts. That's why, on this day synonymous with celebration and family atmosphere, between one course and another of festive meals, we wanted to give you a... taste of what will be a post-Christmas feast in a few days.

Below, you can read a brief excerpt from the 25-minute phone call with Axel Merckx (on the right in the photo) that you can then listen to in full as the only interview in the BlaBlaBike episode coming out next Monday 29:

"I'm not too worried about the future of the Under 23 category, maybe the top talents won't be there because they go straight to the World Tour, but there will always be a need for a bridging category between Juniors and professional cycling. What puzzles me, however, is the scouting by big teams already on Cadets, seeing both teams and agents putting pressure on young riders to make them turn professional as soon as possible: I don't want to point fingers at one category or another, I simply find this a dangerous dynamic for the development of the athletes."

This type of observation is something we hear every time we talk about the future of cycling with professionals who know the subject and especially the youth sector. Like the son of the great Eddy, precisely, a talent scout for over 15 years and director of the current Jayco AlUla development team.

Hoping we haven't made any bite bitter for you, we wish you Happy Holidays and invite you to listen to our podcast.