Kerstperiode Notebook | Hulst
A day after Loenhout, we were back at it with an 80-minute drive from Scherpenheuvel to Hulst, Netherlands, for round 11 of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup. This was the second time I've been to the Hulst World Cup.
If you missed the first installment of the Kerstperiode Notebook covering Diegem and Loenhout, it is here.
In a confusing bit of calendar shuffling, Hulst happened twice in 2022: once in January and once in November. The January 2022 version of Hulst happened while lockdown protocols were still in place in the Netherlands. The November 2022 version, like this year's version, was open to the public, and the public showed up. I was previously at the January ‘22 version.
Photographing the Kerstperiode at the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022, during the pandemic, brought a bit of cognitive dissonance. It was a low-energy affair. Without the crowds that mean so much to the sport bringing the place to life, the race-day environment lacked that spark a typical Kerstperiode race brings. On the other hand, it was really easy to shoot because the absence of spectators meant you could get everywhere in the venue and get there quickly.
It's a no-brainer that the return of crowds and any hassles that may accompany them greatly outweigh a worldwide pandemic and sport without spectators. Just look at these two photos taken from the same spot two years apart.
Or these along the windmill descent.
The energy and electricity from the spectators during this year's Kerstperiode have been amazing. These are the biggest crowds I've seen, and I love it. But I think that once spectators were allowed to attend races again, working photographers lost out in ways that may not be obvious from the outside.
The most significant change is new limitations on access for credentialed photographers. This is happening at most races, but I'll use Hulst as an example. In the past, a race like Hulst had designated photo zones. These were marked on the course map and in the event's technical guide. In the venue, the organizers taped off restricted sections and often had stewards assigned to keep non-credentialed people out of those areas.
For Hulst, the off-camber that takes riders from the front of the course to the back was media only. Also, the right side of the run-up had been reserved for photographers, as well as the pond side of the track leading up to the run-up. There was also a small photo pit on the off-camber near the start. For this year, none of these media-only sections existed.
The only place where photographers could go without crowd interference was on top of the run-up, inside the barriers. As a practice, I hate being on the course, but when the setup gives you no other options, and the organizers allow it, you take what you can get. And even this was a self-policing area with more than one fan deciding they could go on course to get a shot for themselves.
You may have seen at Hulst that spectators shoved a photographer into the pond, and his camera gear was destroyed. I don't know what led to that moment, but it was 100 percent avoidable and should have never ended as it did with over $15,000 in damaged gear. The part of the track where the shove occurred had been off-limits to the public in the past. It's dangerous for more than a few people and not a place that spectators need to go.
After the race, I was told that a conversation had already occurred between the series organization and the press liaison. I hope that this incident, as unfortunate as it was, will be the catalyst for bringing back photo-only sections at venues, making it possible for photographers to do their jobs and spectators to enjoy the race simultaneously.
Much like improved infrastructure would address many problems between drivers and cyclists, improved logistical planning and infrastructure changes at races will help the interactions between media and spectators.
I didn't set out to spend 500 words on this topic, but sometimes you just go where your fingers take you. I do want to stress that I'm not complaining here. I got the shots I needed and some others I liked. Part of the challenge of shooting races is figuring out how to do it with these massive crowds. It's a puzzle that we enjoy trying to solve. And even if we never see the return of the photo-only sections, any day shooting a cyclocross race is still 1000 times better than shooting a gravel race.
Press Center Rating:
Hulst: The media room is fine. It's large, well-lit, indoors, and they had coffee and some sandwiches. There was no vegetarian option, but there was a tuna salad-type sandwich that was pretty good. The downside is that the press center is a 1.5k walk from the venue. I love walking, but a press room far from the venue has diminished value. I went there in the morning to pick up my photo vest and grab some food. I went back at the event's end to return my vest and snag some more food. Grade: B-
One of the first laps of the women’s race s group of spectators had sat on the Toyo Tire banner on the embankment. I bet someone had to spend most the day keeping spectators off things. Thanks for the insite!