14.04.2025 14:00
Famous cyclist Mathieu van der Poel became angry due to a water bottle thrown at his face by a spectator during the Paris-Roubaix race. The incident occurred 33 kilometers before the end of the race. Van der Poel stated that the person who threw the bottle should be prosecuted and described the incident as an "attempted murder." The bottle thrown by the spectator hit the athlete's cheek.
Famous cyclist Mathieu van der Poel experienced great anger due to a water bottle thrown by a spectator during the Paris-Roubaix race he won. The 30-year-old Dutch athlete stated that the person who threw the bottle that hit his face should be prosecuted.
The incident occurred 33 kilometers before the end of the race. A spectator threw a full water bottle at the rapidly approaching van der Poel. Fortunately, the bottle hit the athlete's cheek instead of his nose.
"This incident should not be overlooked. It was a full bottle and it hurt a lot. If it had hit my nose, it would have definitely broken," said van der Poel, describing the incident as an "attempted murder."
This successful athlete of the Alpecin-Deceuninck team won the race, achieving his third consecutive Paris-Roubaix victory. With this success, he also equaled a record that had stood since 1980. However, instead of celebrating, he had to talk about the incident that occurred.
"This is an unacceptable situation. A full bottle weighing half a kilogram hitting my face at 50 kilometers per hour felt like being hit by a stone," said van der Poel at the post-race press conference. The athlete's team announced that they would initiate legal action against the spectator.
Following the incident, according to reports, a person who confessed to throwing the bottle turned himself in to the Belgian police. The identity of the individual has not yet been disclosed.
Alpecin-Deceuninck team manager Philip Roodhooft stated that such provocative behaviors should receive "as little attention as possible." "These kinds of people do not deserve the attention. Here, tens of thousands of people appreciate Mathieu's success, and we should focus on them," he said.
Former British cyclist Adam Blythe also strongly condemned the incident on TNT Sports, labeling the person who threw the bottle as a "despicable guy." "I can't believe someone did this. Fortunately, the athlete was not affected, but this behavior is truly disgusting," he added.