1. Venue
– Getting there: It was a short 45 minute long drive from Basel Airport. It still cannot beat Roubaix, but this is as easy as it gets. 4 points
– Sights&City: I booked a hotel in Montbeliard which is a lovely smaller city with a brilliant old town in the center. However, there weren’t a single restaurant that was promised decent food, which is quite surprising, given that the French were supposed to be quite savvy when it comes to food. 3 points
2. Course
– Getting there: You couldn’t see even a smaller junction without arrows showing your how to get to the course, I haven’t seen such thorough signing policy every before, respect. 5 points
– Layout & getting around: The course was too stretched out so it was possible to wander around it without risking to get back to the finish on time. 4 points
– Skill level: It wouldn’t have been a challenging course, however, the rain made it quite tricky, especially a few steep climbs and a long off-camber section. 5 points
3. Press services
– Distance from course: Quite close from the finish line, which was good. What wasn’t good that sometimes security guards seemed to grant or deny access from you to certain areas. 3 points
– Internet – excellent internet connection, though there was a weird registration process. 4 points
– Handouts – Handouts were prompt and delivered by press staff. 5 points
– Staff – They were very helpful and kind, however, there were times when only an older gentleman was present, who didn’t speak a single word in English. As much as I’m a huge fan of preserving one’s national heritage, it might make sense to have people at the press center with proper language skills at all times. 4 points
– Catering – Impressive lunch and some biscuits during the day, it was adequate. 4 points
Overall score: 41/50 points – well done!
