It’s been one hell of a year, but one that’s slipped through my fingers faster than a superpole lap… on fast-forward. The older I get, the more I wonder where the time goes, but it’s now, during the build-up to Christmas, that I’ve finally got the chance to kick back and take everything into account. The bikes, the places, the routes, the people... I don’t think I could have crammed in much more if I’d tried, and I hope you can say the same. As far as highlights go, riding Bautista’s world championship-winning Ducati V4R is right up there, along with tackling the GS Trophy, plus clocking some very special miles on my Aprilia RSV Mille project bike that even I doubted would ever make it over the finish line. In all honesty, the highlights are so numerous that it’s hard to think them all through in this moment, but needless to say it’s been a blast. Generally speaking, riding bikes is awesome, regardless of where you are or who you’re with, so it’s hard to not have made so many great memories. Johnny, Tim and I have had some proper laughs this year, which is what it’s all about, while doing our best to put a worthy mag together for you. I hope we’ve kept you entertained, informed, and hungry for more – because next year promises to be another belter. We’ve got a pretty good grasp of what new metal is heading our way, with plenty of excitement on the cards, and we’ve also been running through some must-do antics for 2023.