A Dutch cyclist claims a spectator tried to kill him after a full water bottle was hurled at his face 33km from the finish line.
Mathieu van der Poel, 30, was seen in footage steadily cycling on a cobbled road during the Paris–Roubaix race on Sunday when the incident occurred.
As onlookers clapped and cheered the triple Roubaix winner on, one visitor suddenly stepped forward to launch a bottle into his face as he cycled past.
Video circulating on social media shows the world champion flinching as the water bottle hits the side of his head with force.
Despite his winning the race, Van der Poel is calling for an investigation into the fan, who has since turned himself into police, and has vowed legal action.
‘We can’t let this pass. It was a full water bottle, and it hurt a lot. If I take that water bottle on my nose, it’s broken,’ he told Sporza, adding that he hopes his team will take action and press charges if the police don’t first.
‘Hopefully, the police can identify the man because there has to be a trial for this,’ he said on Sunday. ‘This is attempted manslaughter. If the UCI doesn’t take action, then we will do it with the team.’
In the post-race press conference, Van der Poel said the incident did not impact the fun he had while racing, but described the feeling of the bottle’s impact to ‘a stone hitting my face’.
Mathieu van der Poel was cycling during the Paris–Roubaix race on Sunday when a spectator threw a water bottle at his face
Footage captured the yellow bottle flying through the air before hitting the world champion’s head mid-ride
Van der Poel flinched as the bottle made contact with the side of his face but he continued the ride and won the race
The bottle was seen hitting the floor as Van der Poel cycled away following the incident
One image from the race also captured the moment a different spectator hurled a cup of brown liquid at the Dutchman on the Carrefour de l’Arbre cobbled sector
‘It’s not acceptable. When they throw beer, it’s also not acceptable, but that’s a different story. This is really something we have to take legal action against,’ he added.
Team manager Philip Roodhooft said the spectator deserves ‘as little attention as possible’, not wanting to take anything away from Van der Poel’s win.
‘These kinds of people don’t deserve that,’ Roodhooft said. ‘We will first see if the authorities can identify someone.
‘But we shouldn’t give it too much attention when you see how many tens of thousands of people do appreciate what Mathieu and others are achieving here.’
A spokesperson for West Flanders public prosecutor’s office confirmed Monday that the perpetrator turned himself in to the police following the incident.
No information regarding his identity has been publicly revealed yet, but a source told De Telegraafthat he is said to be ‘very sorry’.
The man has since been questioned by the police and a report will be handed over to the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office.
However, the bottle throw was not the only spectator incident Van der Poel endured during his Roubaix-winning ride.
One image from the race also captured the moment a spectator hurled a cup of brown liquid at the Dutchman on the Carrefour de l’Arbre cobbled sector.
Following the throwing chaos on the track, several cycling fans took to social media to blast the bottle-thrower.
Team Visma, a World Tour cycling team, wrote: ‘Throwing objects at riders who are giving their all – stop it immediately! Just enjoy the beauty of the race!’
Another frustrated fan said: ‘It’s disgusting to see fringe fans throwing water bottles at a champion. Why? Why? Stop this nonsense!’
One more added: ‘He should be put in jail. Clear as day’.