There are riders who are easy to categorize: sprinters, climbers, model teammates, champions with track records as long as your arm. And then there are those who escape classification. Those who leave a mark with their personality, their freedom, their assumed contradictions. Nico Mattan is one of them. Winner of Ghent-Wevelgem in 2005, companion of route of Franck Vandenbroucke, luxury teammate, then atypical ambassador of Kwaremont beer, he embodies a bygone cycling: freer, more instinctive, more rock'n'roll. A cycling where you could still eat fries with mayonnaise the night before a race, drink ten beers on the evening of a victory with Peter Van Petegem, and win a major classic three days later.
By Jeff Tatard – Photos: personal collection Nico Mattan/DR
First steps: Marseille, Agrigento, Bogota and the school of the 90s
Nico's first memory as a professional takes us back to the south of France, in the early 90s.. " My very first race was with Franck in Marseille. He won straight away at the citadel. » The tone was set. Very quickly, horizons broadened: in 1994 in Agrigento and then in 1995 in Bogota, Nico discovered the intensity of the world championships. Baptisms of fire against a flamboyant generation: Olano, Pantani, Jalabert, Museeuw… Immense champions, with outsized personalities.
Nico, for his part, is a quick learner. A loyal teammate, he integrates into the inner workings of the peloton, while still showing his qualities as a rouleur. The prologues become his favorite playground. I won the Paris-Nice prologue twice, in 2001 and 2003. I even beat Millar and Cancellara. »
Not bad for a guy who was advertised as a second knifeBut Nico wasn't there to recite a conventional role: he wanted to live his cycling in his own way.
Ghent-Wevelgem 2005: the day of glory
And then there is this April 6, 2005, which will remain etched in your memory. Ghent-Wevelgem. The classic for the tough guys. In the final kilometers, Juan Antonio Flecha seemed to be heading for victory. But Mattan came back to him, carried by the encouragement and the racing cars. I lived three kilometers from the finish. When you win near your home, you don't go to sleep in a hotel. You go home a winner. », he smiles.
The victory sparked controversy: many accused him of taking advantage of the slipstream of the bikes. Nico never hid it: he seized his chance. And he owns it. Just because you know all the paths doesn't mean you can win. »
For him, the important thing is not the controversy. The important thing is that he won a great classic.That he has written his name alongside the greatest. And that he has given his Flemish public a home victory.
Paris-Roubaix 2002: the race of his life
And yet, If Nico had to choose his best race, he wouldn't mention Ghent-Wevelgem.. Not even his victorious prologues. No, for him, it's Paris-Roubaix 2002, won by Johan Museeuw.
« That day, I rode 200 kilometers in front. I was in the breakaway, I was moving like never before. With 30 kilometers to go, I was still in the race to finish second behind Museeuw. But I slipped on an oil patch, and I lost everything. As a result, I finished seventh or ninth. But for me, it remains my best race. »
In his voice there is no bitter regret, but a sincere pride.That of having existed in the heart of the Hell of the North, of having stood up to the greatest on the cobblestones.
Adversity and friendship: between Museeuw, Pantani and… “the two madmen”
When asked who influenced him, Nico immediately cites Johan Museeuw. In my time, he was the strongest. All the classics could be for Museeuw, he was so superior. »
More The most vivid memories are not only about rivals. They also concern the companions of route. Franck Vandenbroucke, of course. But also Philippe Gaumont. Nico still laughs about it: " Franck and Philippe, they were two crazy people. Two guys capable of the worst as well as the best. But always with a smile. »
These crazy as he calls them, gave the peloton a particular flavor. A carelessness, an irreverence. No precise career plan. Just talent, flashes of brilliance, excess.
Vandenbroucke: the friend, the brother, the boss
It is therefore impossible to talk about Mattan without mentioning Franck Vandenbroucke.Their friendship begins early. My first contract in 1994, I did everything for him. Putting on his bibs, washing his clothes. At the time, there weren't even washing machines in hotels. We washed everything ourselves in the sink. »
This loyalty lasts more than ten years. I worked for him until 2001. I started earning for myself at the age of 30. »
Nico has a tender and lucid memory: “ Franck was the boss. Even the sporting directors had no authority over him. He made the decisions, period. He had incredible charisma. »
Vandenbroucke's death devastates him. But Nico doesn't forget him. He publishes a book, organizes tributes, and keeps his memory alive. I'm still managing his Ins page.tagram. Ten years later, I'm still posting photos on important dates. »
And he goes further: he writes a song, with a musician friend, in tribute to Franck. A piece imbued with melancholy, which evokes their complicity and their destiny.
=> Listen to the tribute song to Franck Vandenbroucke
Bernard Sainz: the inspiration
Among the figures who have marked him, there are also a controversial figure: Bernard Sainz, nicknamed Doctor Mabuse. But for Nico, he remains a guide. I never had a coach. Bernard gave me advice. Never any medication. He never suggested anything to me. »
There's the famous anecdote from the year 2000. Nico caught chickenpox before the Tour. The team doctor prescribed him heavy antibiotics. Bernard said no: " You don't take that. You only take my Solvarum drops. » Nico obeyed. A few weeks later, he finished 20th in the Tour de France. The doctors never understood. But I never had any problems with Bernard. He helped me. »
And then there are his radical methods, on the eve of major events. Ten days before a world championship, he made me ride three times in the same day: from 9 a.m. to noon, then from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and again from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Three hundred kilometers in the legs in a single day. » Extreme training, which demonstrates this approach, both empirical and instinctive, that Mabuse advocated.
For Mattan, Sainz represents another way of seeing sport : more natural, more instinctive, less medicalized. A striking contrast with today's ultra-controlled cycling.
Beer, fries, and the philosophy of life
There is at Nico's a simple philosophy: cycling is hard, so you also have to know how to enjoy it. " I've been eating fries my entire career. With mayonnaise. " He laughs as he recalls his excesses. With Van Petegem, we could drink ten beers on Sunday after a victory. And three days later, I won Ghent-Wevelgem. »
Today he looks at young people with amusement. Remco is afraid to drink half a glass of champagne. I never believed in that. If you're strong, you're strong. »
This is not to deny modern demands. But Nico defends a truth: not to enter into absolute rigor too soon. " 17-18 year olds are already living like pros. It's too early. Leave them alone. »
Kwaremont beer: a second life
Nico finds his post-career in an unexpected role: ambassador of Kwaremont beer. " It was the first beer to link its image to cycling. Since then, everyone has copied it. »
He speaks about it with passion, as a new profession, but also as a continuation of his life as a runner. I saw a runner drink the whole pint on a podium. I won't say who " he bursts out laughing.
For him, beer remains a symbol of conviviality, not of excess. It used to be a reward. Now some people think a glass of champagne will destroy them. It's ridiculous. »
Céline, friendship and family ties
In the great whirlwind of cycling, some relationships matter more than others. Céline Vandenbroucke, daughter of Jean-Luc, former sports director, is one of his lifelong friends. I've known her since 1994. Her father was my manager. We've remained close. »
For Nico, she embodies this human bond, this extended family that is cycling. She always had an incredible address book. Armstrong, Wiggins, Gilbert. And yet, she remained simple. »
A look at modern cycling
When asked what he thinks of cycling today, Nico sighs and smiles.. " Young people are monitored everywhere, all the time. They're put at altitude at 17. But everyone is different. You can't lock a kid in a room for three weeks; he goes crazy. »
And he adds a concrete example, with his own characteristic mixture of frankness and humor: " If you do that with Arnaud De Lie, you lose him. A guy like Arnaud, I know him well, you have to leave him at 300 meters above sea level, with his cows and sheep. »
His observation is clear: too much rigor kills spontaneity. I started walking at 30. Today, at 26, some people are already stopping because they're fed up. »
Quiet Wisdom
As he concludes, Nico appears calm. He doesn't have the polish of a smooth champion. But it has a raw truth, a rare authenticity.
His advice to young people? Don't get too serious too soon. Eat fries. And find your own way. »
A heirtage simple, but powerfulThat of a rider who never cheated on himself, who gave his all, and who continues to bring to life a certain idea of cycling: free, human, joyful, a little crazy sometimes, but so true.
