Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Interview - Laura Meseguer (cycling journalist)

Laura Meseguer.
The last couple of months this site has been getting a lot of visitors searching for "Laura Meseguer" on Google and other search engines. It seems like Laura is everywhere these days, so to sum what is happening, I made the following interview with her today.

Laura, first of all. For those people who have been sleeping the last couple of months, can you just quickly tell who you are?
Sure. I'm a Spanish cycling journalist who works for the magazine Pedalier Pro. I also work for the cycling micro site of Festina and for the cycling tourist race Mallorca 312. This is my 5th year working with cycling and I’m still learning everyday.

You seem to be everywhere these days. What is happening?
I don't know! I'm just doing my job behind the computer and at the races. A Belgian cycling magazine, CycloSprint, showed interest in interview with me a few weeks ago and of course I agreed to do that. I'm a bit surprised about it, because I really don't think my life can be interesting for an interview like that, but I feel very pleased with the attention.

Laura Meseguer (right) in the studio for Giro d'Italia
broadcasting last year for Spanish television.
Last year you were on Spanish TV, co-commentating one of the Giro d'Italia stages. Do you think that started this whole thing?
I don't think so. I think that the social networks are responsible for connecting persons all over the world. Especially the communicators. The truth is that when I write or tweet something I don't truly realize the amount of people who is reading it. In these years of social networking you are much more aware of how many people actually read your stuff and the response is almost immediately which makes it more demanding. It amazes me to see how many people that read what I write and it makes me more responsible as a journalist.

If we look at some of your work. In your opinion what is the best interview you have done so far?
I learned a lot when I interviewed Jens Voigt recently. It will be in the next edition of Pedalier Pro. I enjoyed that interview very much. Voigt is a great person and I took many of the things he said as an learning experience. I can't reveal much since it's not published yet, but I can say that I learned a lot of ‘sayings’ talking with Voigt.

To be honest, I enjoy all that I write for Pedalier Pro. It is a magazine where my way of writing and my view on cycling unite perfectly. To mention one article, I like the one I wrote about the Track Cycling World Champions; "Reyes de la Pista, príncipes de la carretera" [Kings of the track, princes of the road]. Another one is "El show debe continuar?" [The show must continue?]. It was a piece I wrote for my personal blog and I got a lot of positive feedback on that one. Of course, first of all, I write to inform, no to please, but I was very touched by the riders commenting on the article with such kind words.

The cover of CycloSprint.
As you said, Belgian cycling magazine, CycloSprint, made a big interview with you this month. Did you expect it to be on the front cover with Fabian Cancellara?
Never! I think Fabian Cancellera deserves to be there a lot more than me. If you ask me, I don't think that the any journalist should be on the front cover.

Recently you even found an article about yourself in the Belgian newspapers Net Nieuwsblad, you are famous now...
That was a surprise. I really didn't expect that! I was a little scared about it, also because I don't understand the language. Though, my Belgian colleagues have told me that the article was positive and respectful and didn't lack a sense of humor, so I can only be grateful.


The article about Laura in
Net Nieuwsblad recently.
How have the feedback been the last couple of months? 
It's always positive, which is the most important for me. Still, I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I have spent many years preparing to be a good journalist or communicator. I don't want to be a part of what is very popular in Spain these years with "young female sport journalists". I think I started to work with cycling a long time before this new fashion. I want to be professional in my way of working and I don't want to be anywhere thanks to anything but that.

So what do you tell those who compare you to Sara Carbonero [TV-reporter and girl friend of Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas]?
That is exactly what I'm referring to. I don't think the two of us have anything in common at all. I think she made a mistake of converting herself into a product on an TV-station who really knows how to "sell products". It’s problem when you act like a product and still want to be taking serious as a journalist. I don't feel I belong on TV but if so it should be on a serious network that doesn't sell the women as entertainment products but as the real reporters we are.

Do you have any plans of doing TV in the near future?
Not right now, but you never know what will happen in the future. For example I never thought I would end up working with cycling either! In any case it would be something serious in the area of reporting or interviewing, which I like to do so much.

So what is next? Where are we going to see Laura Meseguer pop up next time?
I'll be at some stages of Vuelta a Castilla y León then Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Mallorca312 and maybe Giro d' Italia. After that I'll have a break and rest, like the riders, before I'll start again with the Tour de France, Vuelta a Burgos, Vuelta a España and the World Champions. I don't know about the Olympics yet. We will see.

In case you didn't do it already, you can follow Laura Meseguer on Twitter via @Laura_Meseguer

2 comments:

  1. "In case you didn't do it already, you can follow Laura Meseguer on Twitter via @Laura_Meseguer"

    What? Are there people who love cycling and is not following @Laura_Meseguer or @mrconde? What a crazy world!

    Great interview!

    Regards, Mikkel

    ReplyDelete
  2. Much obliged! All thanks to Laura;)

    ReplyDelete