From: Raymond Kerckhoffs (De Telegraaf)
Conclusion: Internet can be better. At the finish the VRT has to understand that also the written press wants to talk with the best Belgium riders. Now the VRT claimed some of them for more than 2 hours.
- Information on website: The Tour of Flanders is one of the races organised by Flanders Classics. The sites of all these races are uniform with good and updated information.
- Accreditation: The accreditation system works without any major problems. You get very fast an answer if your accreditation is approved.
- Indications for Accreditation centre: It was not clear where to enter the Press parking Het Pandreitje. It looked like it was closed. The parking is not far from the accreditation centre, which is in the centre of Brugges and is well organised. The internet in Brugges was not very fast. It was not possible to send a mp4 from here.
- Live-ticker of the race: Done by the editors of Het Nieuwsblad. It’s ok.
- Working conditions at start: The team buses are far from the start, but you’re allowed to walk on the road to the parking. In Brugges all the buses are behind barriers, so there are not too many people and it’s still possible to talk with some riders/team staff.
- Working conditions at finish: Newspapers and big websites were allowed to have more than one person at the finish location. Most journalists went directly to the Market where the buses are parked and the studio of the Belgian television is positioned. Only the Belgium journalist said that it was difficult to talk with the best Belgium riders. A rider like Greg Van Avermaet went from VRT camera to VRT camera and VRT program without having time to talk with the written press.
- Pressroom: It’s ok. A big screen where you can follow perfect the race. Enough places.
- Distance Pressroom – Finish. It’s far. The way to the finish was better marked last years, but some people still had problems to find directly the shortest way.
- Distance Finish – Teams buses. It’s also far. You have to make a choice. Or the finish of the buses. Therefore it would be good to bring the numbers two and three of the podium also to the pressroom for a short press conference.
- Internet: It still can work better and faster… A lot of media is sending movies anno 2014, the internet was not prepared on this.
- Information about race in Pressroom: You can follow the live ticker at the site. And you could follow the race on television on a big screen.
- Results: Ok
- Food or drinks at or near Pressroom: Perfect. Good service with drinks and sandwiches.
- Press conference. A good press conference with winner Fabian Cancellara.
- Amount of professional and non-professional journalists: Van Landeghem puts a lot of attention that only professional journalists will be in the pressroom and work at the start and finish. For a big race like Tour of Flanders that’s very important.