Broomwagon: The satirical column that puts the bile into bicycle. Broomwagon appears at the back of Cycle Sport magazine every month.
Frans Maassen, former Dutch champion and Tour de France stage winner, now a directeur sportif at Rabobank has the best name in cycling. His full name is Franciscus Albertus Antonius Johannes Maassen. Well, according to that ever-reliable resource Wikipedia it is. So we rang him to check.
Frans: Yes, that’s what it says on my passport.
Broomwagon: What a great name. What’s the story behind it?
Frans: You’d have to ask my parents what they were thinking.
Broomwagon: Have you ever asked them?
Frans: I think when you’re Catholic these names mean something.
Broomwagon: Did you ever find it embarrassing?
Frans: No. Well, I didn’t tell people too much. I was just Frans Maassen.
Broomwagon: So, what should we call you? Franciscus Albertus Antonius Johannes?
Frans: No, no, no. Frans is fine. Really. Please. Just Frans Maassen.
Broomwagon: You got it, Franciscus.