The Flemish Giant has existed since 1992, but from this edition the trophy has a new look. The Flemish Association of Sports Journalists and Photographers (more than 500 members) no longer puts sporting results first. What is most important is that the winner shows a great personality. In this way the Flemish Giant wants to stand out from the other major sporting prizes in the country.
This year the choice fell on Patrick Lefevere, 69-year-old manager of the Soudal Quick-Step cycling team. Lefevere is an icon of the Belgian and international cycling world. Last year his team achieved huge successes, including (stage) victories for the 2022 Flemish giant Remco Evenepoel at the Tour of Spain, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Clásica San Sebastián, the Belgian Road Championship and the world time trial.
“An unexpected prize,” says Lefevere. “The first non-athlete, it’s obviously an honor. I’ve won a lot of trophies lately. There are two ways of looking at it: either people appreciate what I do, or it’s a silent hint that they want to say: enough, that was nice (laughs). For this last category: we will need to have a little patience.”
The jury, made up of leading sports journalists, nominated Lefevere for his lively personality. He is not afraid of controversy or courageous statements, but always with the intention of taking a step forward. “I always had a bad mouth,” Lefevere said. “Except when I entered the race for the first time and had to race with Freddy Maertens and Eddy Merckx, then I felt so big (he holds his finger an inch away). In the meantime I have experienced many storms. I learned to be tough. But in the racing world you’re not playing cards. I hope people respect me.”
Lefevere has his supporters and opponents in the race, but journalists like him a lot. Also because it is available at any time. “To me this is basic courtesy,” she says. “If I can’t answer, I’ll call back myself. Treat journalists well and they will do the same. Most of them anyway.”
At sixty-nine, Lefevere is a running icon and now officially a Flemish Giant. But are there really people he looks up to? “As a little Flemish girl I saw three Belgian kings and visited the Elysée. After the 2010 Tour I was received by president Nicolas Sarkozy, together with my colleagues Marc Madiot and Jean-René Bernaudeau. That Tour was particularly successful for the French, with stage victories for Christophe Riblon, Pierrick Fédrigo, Thomas Voeckler and even two for our Sylvain Chavanel”.
“Sarkozy knew everything: ‘Voila Monsieur Lefevere, sorcier of Paris-Roubaix’ The magician of Roubaix. Mapei, Tafi, 1999, on Colnago C40.’ Then to bicycles. According to protocol the meeting should have lasted twenty minutes. In the end we talked for an hour and twenty minutes and Carla Bruni also joined us. She didn’t like riding a bike because it hurt ‘you know where’ (she laughs).”
Since VBS prides itself on sports journalism and photography, from 2023 there will also be two awards for the best players in the industry: one for sports journalist of the year and one for sports photographer of the year. For the first category, commentator Peter Vandenbempt, known to Sporza and Proximus Pickx, took to the stage. Vandenbempt is the voice of football and makes a difference through journalism. The sports photographer of the year is Yorick Jansens (Belgian), who died in 2023 at the age of just 48 after a long battle with cancer. In addition to being an extremely gifted photographer, Jansens was also a wonderful colleague and an amazing husband/father. His wife accepted the trophy.
2024-01-12 19:43:36
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