The 2024 racing season ended at the weekend but some riders and teams face one last obligation - a late-season team gathering - before heading into the off-season and holidays.
UAE Team Emirates, Soudal Quick-Step and Tudor are among several teams gathering in different locations this week to celebrate the 2024 season, welcome new recruits, undergo medicals and equipment fittings and begin to outline their race calendars for 2025.
The Tudor team will welcome new leaders Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi at a get-together near their service course in Switzerland, as they work to secure a wild card invitation to the Tour de France and other WorldTour races in 2025.
While some riders headed home to Australia and the USA directly from the Tour of Guangxi, others were still in Europe, awaiting their team meetings.
Some of the Jayco-AlUla team, including new leader Ben O'Connor were in Turin, Italy last week for their first medical checks and team meetings.
Tadej Pogačar has apparently booked a holiday with his partner and fellow rider Urška Žigart in the Seychelles but will spend several days this week in the United Arab Emirates.
UAE Team Emirates will celebrate Pogačar's Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double and world title and their dominance of the 2024 WorldTour. Riders will also take part in the annual Community Ride on Thursday.
"We are returning to the UAE for our #WeAreUAE Community ride along! Save the date and come and ride with the team as we celebrate another record-breaking season!" The team announced recently.
Pogačar will also stay in the UAE for the UCI ESports World Championships on Saturday organised by MyWhoosh, who are also a team sponsor.
After ending his 2024 season finishing second behind Pogačar at il Lombardia, Remco Evenepoel will begin to think about 2025 at the Soudal Quick-Step team gathering this week in Belgium, near the Soudal headquarters in Turnhout.
Soudal Quick-Step will welcome new riders between October 21-25 and celebrate Evenepoel's podium place on his debut at the Tour de France.
Evenepoel can then begin his holiday, taking a month off the bike. He is likely to miss the 2025 Tour de France presentation on October 29 in Paris and the presentation of the 2025 Giro d'Italia in Rome on November 12.
Soudal Quick-Step, like many other leading teams, will gather for a first winter training camp in December, spending two weeks on the Spanish coast, as they lay down vital winter kilometres.
