From: Raymond Kerckhoffs (De Telegraaf)
Conclusion: Working conditions are ok. It’s getting a little bit better to speak with the riders at the pelouse of the Velodrome in Roubaix.
- Information on website: The site of letour.fr is ok with a lot of information. Only I couldn’t find the starts of cobblestone-sections.
- Accreditation: Le Tour has a very good and easy accreditationsystem.
- Indications for Accreditation centre: For some years we ask for a parking Presse at the Saturday in Compiegne. We got to park between the public, while it must be possible to create a pressparking near the permanence. Also in or near the pressroom you can’t find any coffee. Aso now organized some bottle of waters. This is a good start. The internet worked good.
- Live-ticker of the race: It’s ok.
- Working conditions at start: It was too crowded at the startline. Not only for the journalists also for the riders. Near the busses you can talk easy with the riders and behind the startpodium there’s a big area where no public is allowed.
- Working conditions at finish: It’s always difficult to understand where you may come at the velodrome of Roubaix. I understand that they try to keep the area empty when the first riders are arriving. But please leave the journalist behind the barriers when the first three riders are picked up for the podium. Than everybody can search the rider he wants to talk with.
- Pressroom: The pressroom is the new velordrome is perfect. Not far away from the finish, enough televisions.
- Distance Pressroom – Finish. Perfect.
- Distance Finish – Teams buses. The busses are directly parked near the velodrome.
- Internet: Good and fast!
- Information about race in Pressroom: Enough televisions. You can follow the live ticker also at the site.
- Results: Ok
- Food or drinks at or near Pressroom: Sandwiches, water and coffee. Perfect.
- Press conference. A good press conference with the first three riders in the race.
- Amount of professional and non-professional journalists: OK. Very strict rules