Tour de Romandie - A week in Switzerland

Make yourself a cup of tea and take a seat because this one is going to be long. Originally I was planning on writing a post each day, then just doing two parts for the race, now it’s just one, that’s what happens when I’m sleepy after a day shooting and editing I guess. Oh well, one long piece instead.

Day one - Prologue

I arrived in Switzerland the night before the prologue, after driving from Metz in France with a stop halfway in Besancon to catch up with Laurence, I arrived in Lausanne around Seven in the evening. Dinner with the host family I stayed with and a quick drive around the course before the day was done. I was thankful to recon the course but it really wasn’t anything spectacular, Lausanne is a beautiful city and I would definitely tell anyone to visit but the short five kilometre course was far from beautiful for a bike race. The saving grace was that it went along a runway for a kilometre, it’s not often a bike race does that so I was looking forward to shooting something different. 

The morning of I picked up my accreditation and quickly made friends with the legends in the permanence (Accreditation) tent. I think they were just stoked to meet someone from New Zealand but they were super friendly and helpful, big fans of the All Blacks, I didn’t tell them they most likely know more players than I do. 

The rain had been pouring all morning and I was excited to shoot in it, rain adds more drama and emotion into the race and riders, don’t get me wrong I don’t enjoy spending two to three hours in it but I do think it’s well worth it for better photos. Canon cameras are waterproof right? Around midday however the sun came through and the rain stopped, good news if you’re about to do a hot five kilometre lap on a technical prologue, bad news if you wanted fab photos. 

I started off wandering through the team buses taking a few photos of the riders who had started warming up. I enjoy looking for details and unique angles to shoot during this phase of a stage. Images below. 

Next was heading out on course, straight for the runway, skip the messy bits in town, that was my plan. I tried to find as many different angles and compositions on the runway. In 2019 my inspiration Jered Gruber told me the key is to keep moving, I still try to do that as much as I can. You’ll often find some photographers spend a TT or road stage in the same place taking the exact same photo of every rider, it’s because they work for an agency and need a good image of everyone, it’s a safe bet and it’s business but it’s dead boring and in my opinion it lacks creativity or any artistic direction. I want my business to come because my work is unique and creative not because it’s “good enough”. Anyway that’s my opinion lol. There were some super rad old planes on the runway and they looked cool, the shot of the blurred EF rider is my favourite!

It was shooting the prologue that I found out my Giro accreditation had been rejected. I tried really hard not to let it bother me but it definitely was on my mind. This trip I have been trying to share my travels honestly online but I avoided sharing this for a few days, I guess it just felt like it wasn’t really an issue if I didn’t share it on the internet, the web is weird. 

A quick journey back for podium shots, pick up my bag from the press room along with several snacks and I was back on my way home to my new Swiss Family. A run in the evening and fondue (delicious) for dinner wrapped up my day, oh and editing of course but I’m assuming you assume that. 

Day Two - Stage One

I woke up sleepy, either the first day of shooting hits you like that or it’s just a personality trait for me, perhaps both. Planning my route for the day is always a challenge when shooting with a car, you want to hit as many spots as possible, three or more is great, but at the same time you want quality spots over quantity, you have to find the balance. It didn’t help that the road book was in French, I’m learning and I’ve learn’t a lot already but it was definitely a challenge. 

The stage started beside Lake Lac de Neuchatel, a beautiful spot north of Lausanne. I had arrived early and spent a good half hour sitting beside the lake taking in the view, absolutely magic. Despite being early I made the call to skip shooting the sign on, I was a bit worried about having enough time from sign on to get infront of the race to my first planned spot, looking back I definitely had time, learning. 

The first spot was the village centre in a town called Grandson, I definitely parked my car somewhere you couldn’t but I’m convinced that the press stickers mean anything is okay, speeding, parking illegally, not paying tolls, all fine because I’m press and cycling is important right. The parking warden didn’t bat an eyelid so my theory is now confirmed. Photos below, nothing extraordinary and I wish I shot the break where I shot the pelo and vice versa. 

The next two spots were a blur, not the original ones I planned but just what I could make work, I meet some locals who didn’t speak english and we followed each other on Instagram, old school marketing. Arriving in Romont the finish was packed, it was awesome to see. The press room had great snacks and I picked up my photo vest that I someone missed out on the day before, this claimed a 20 euro deposit which had me using an ATM for the first time in my life, so much admin, as if I want to steal a fluro vest that says photo. The blue ASO ones however…

Didn’t love the way I shot the finish but it was a niggly spot for us photographers, it’s funny how territorial some of us are, lining up for the good spots with 30km of racing left, I was sitting down in the sun watching the big screen lol. I really need/want a 400mm for the finish line shots, I’m using a 70-200 and saved by the ability to crop in on my R5 but a 400 would be game changer, at least I think so. 

Day Three - Stage Two

Got a nice shot of Rohan at sign on, I like it, he did also. 

I want a motorbike (and driver). Planning in the French road book was hard! Stage two was a sprint stage, typically not as exciting to shoot but all a part of the race. I aimed for four spots on course and managed four, although a different four to the originally planned ones. I left just before the peloton, looped back onto the course and was driving in the opposite direction to the way the race would go. I panicked when the race caravan came through thinking I was short on time, pulling over and making do with an open field and church in the distance. The rushed decision was not needed as I proceeded to wait for 30 minutes for the race, as earlier stated, learning. The next spot however was much tighter, a seven kilometre drive for me and seven kilometres for the peloton to ride, bear in mind I have to wait for them to go past, then the team cars, make my way back to my car and then the race begins. The Citroen was really put through it’s paces and I made the next spot with 20 seconds to spare, with no scouting I was please with the images I shot there. 

Next was the only climb of the day, a cat 3 with a nice vista over the rolling hills, images from here shot on 35mm. The fourth spot was abandoned as I didn’t make it around the race in time, a quick one minute break to plan an alternative and I found an over-bridge to shoot on, some of my favourite snaps from this stage. 

Onto the finish, made with plenty of time to spare, could I have done one more spot? The question I’m always asking. Wanted to try a side on pan shot for the sprint, Mr and Mrs Gruber nail them every time (well I don’t see the ones they don’t I guess) anyhow I didn’t nail mine but chuck it in black and white and it’s almost forgivable. Eventually made my way back to the press room and they didn’t have snack, poor performance. I stole some croissants from the volunteers tent, I mean you could almost say I fit that category. 

Day Four - Stage Three

Started the day with a coffee and some Instagram stories sharing missing out on Giro accreditation, felt very real after that. Honestly I was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of different options I had to choose from, a very first world problem of where do I spend two weeks in Europe, Faroe Islands, Austria, Italy? It’s fair to say everyone on social media was throughly supportive and helpful, the part of it I love. Sign on images below.

I planned to hit five spots on this stage. Ambitious. Spot number one was up the first climb of the day early in the stage, I was hoping this is where the break would be forming I would get images of that. I did, but I didn’t like them. I really struggle shooting when it’s bleak clouds, the kind with zero texture in them and just one flat colour, ugh. The peloton came past, shot on the 16-35mm and then back in the car to leapfrog the race, got infront, scraped spot number two and found a cool tunnel under a railway line to shoot. Some deep shadows made for a couple images I liked this time. 

Ticked off another three spots. None I loved and none I originally planned, felt like I was ticking boxes at this point. I had started shooting today inspired and ready to get into it, by this point I wasn’t feeling the same. It was about to change on the finish line. 

The finish. Wow. I made it with six kilometres to go, perfect timing, found a gap between between a couple photographers and waited. The peloton came around the corner and Paddy Bevin was in front, incredible, I shot the heck out of that finish and couldn’t stop smiling for the next three hours, I had nothing to do with the win but felt proud as heck to be a kiwi. At the same time I was shooting Paddy in the corner of my camera I thought I saw Finn sprinting in the top 10, surely not I thought, again it just added to my stoke when I realised it was. Once again saved by the crop in ability of the R5, one day I want to be sponsored by Canon lol. 

Back to the press room and they had exceptional snacks. So much prosciutto and coke! I love coke, it’s amazing. Drive home, edit images, upload, share some on Instagram and head to sleep, some sort of a routine. I don’t love editing in the press room to be honest, I like to be on my own with some music jamming and just work my way through it. 

Day Five - Stage Four

Into the mountains, I was excited! Mountain stages are beautiful, some of my favourite stages to shoot, you get more dramatic racing, pain faces and beautiful landscapes, unfortunately the downside of shooting in a car means you can only get one or two spots to shoot at. I snapped a cool image of Movistar at sign on, stuck around until the riders headed off and jumped onto the motorway to get in-front of the race and onto the mountain. 

Driving up the mountain was beautiful (although I’ve since been told it is one of the worst climbs in the region), it was slow, I was behind several team buses and every switchback is a three point turn for them. First and only spot on the mountain was underwhelming, no opportunity for a nice vista so shooting tight on the 70-200mm was the go. Nothing out the gate but clean images, one of my 15 year old hero Froomey. 

Eventually made it to Zinal, checked into the press room, strawberry tarts and a catch up with my new Swiss friends, fab. Headed out to shoot the finish in what was incredibly cold weather, winter jacket on, hood up and zipped to the top. Shot Vlasov posting up thinking he’d won only to have his teammate steal it on the line, fair play to Bora’s media team for managing what definitely looked like a potential PR nightmare for them. Started snowing during the podium shots, even colder.

Zinal was beautiful, these mountains towns in Switzerland are cool, nothing like it in New Zealand, anyway back to Lausanne and the same routine as the last stages, edit, eat, upload, Instagram and sleep. 

Day Six - Stage Five

The final stage, both a mix of being beyond thankful it’s the last day and sad I don’t have more stages to shoot. I made it to Villars the finishing mountain town and checked into the press room, snacks today were some supermarket croissants and pain au chocolat, not amazing but like my images from stage three ticked the box. 

I walked down the mountain for four kilometres to the switchbacks with views towards the mountain, god I want a moto but I’ll settle for an electric scooter. I met Sigi on one of the switchbacks, a great guy who drives the Getty photographers, you can probably assume but thoughts on Getty. The riders started coming and I shot some nice images, mountain views over the valley and green open fields, Bewls came past and I made sure to tell him how much I loved the podcast, listen to the latest ep to hear my mention, I’m honoured. 

Shot a mix of 35mm and tight on the 70-200mm, shooting TT’s is nice because you’re almost on a level playing field with the moto photographers, I’m competitive when it comes to making the best images I guess. I moved around a lot and was loving it!

When I started the day it was cold (again), the winter jacket was on and it was perfect. As I worked my way back back up the mountain shooting and putting down a solid pace I was questioning if I would make it to the finish in time for Dennis to cross the line, I wanted to be there for the last few riders hoping to capture some emotive images. Seeing a media car driving up behind one of the riders and team cars I waved them down and asked if I could jump in, they didn’t quite understand my English so with a bit of sign language they nodded and let me in, really saving my day. At one point I heard one of them on the phone in French say fotograph taxi, I understood those words and we all laughed, wholesome. 

Jumping out at media pen I jumped the barriers for quick access and started shooting the last few riders. It’s here I got my favourite images from the entire race, Simon Geschke laying everything on the line before lying against the barriers broken, exactly what I wanted for the images I was chasing. Not to mention the rain came in, albeit for only ten minutes but at the perfect time, I was happy, sad for Dennis but happy because cool photos!

I would post some podium shots also but this post has reached the image limit lol. Thanks for reading, as previously stated I am a photographer and no writer, it’s why I feel okay typing “lol”. After a kind offer from some Kiwis here in Switzerland I’m staying here for a couple days before heading to Albstadt for the mountain bike World Cup, fun! I can’t thank Pascal and Corinne enough for hosting me in Lausanne during the race, they taught me lots about Switzerland and life! 

See you next time. 

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