The spectator who threw a bottle at Mathieu van der Poel during Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix has surrendered to Flemish police. French justice officials launched an investigation after the Dutchman had a plastic bottle hurled at his face during his triumphant ride to a third consecutive Paris-Roubaix victory.
The Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported on Monday that the spectator had surrendered to Flemish police. The public prosecutor Filiep Jodts told the BBC: “We can confirm that the man presented himself to the police. An official report was drawn up, in which his statement was recorded. The Public Prosecution Service will decide in the coming days what action should be taken.”
On Monday, the Lille prosecutor Carole Etienne said on X: “An investigation was opened into the charge of violence with a weapon in order to identify and arrest the perpetrator.” The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider was struck while powering solo over a cobbled section with 33km remaining in the prestigious one-day classic, nicknamed “The Hell of the North”.
“It’s not normal. It was a full bottle, it’s maybe half a kilogram and I rode 50kph, it was like a stone hitting my face,” a visibly angered Van der Poel said. “This is just not acceptable. If they spit or throw beer, it’s also unacceptable, but that’s a different story. This is really something we have to take legal action against.”
Cycling’s governing body, the UCI, expressed its support for the 2023 World Road Race champion. “[We] unanimously condemn, in the strongest terms, the unacceptable behaviour of a spectator,” it said. “Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event.
“The UCI and representatives of cycling’s families express their support for the rider and will explore, in conjunction with the competent authorities, all the legal channels at their disposal so that such behaviour is duly and severely punished, as has already been the case in the past. They will take the same action in the future against any act that threatens the physical integrity of riders.”
Alpecin-Deceuninck said late on Monday they were seeking sanctions over the bottle throwing, describing it as “a dangerous and unacceptable incident”.
“We will be filing an official complaint against the perpetrator to formally denounce this behaviour,”they said. “This issue goes beyond that single act. Too often, we observe that such misconduct is either caused by or accompanied by excessive alcohol consumption. It jeopardises the safety of our riders, overshadows the enjoyment and reputation of genuine cycling enthusiasts, and diverts attention from the sporting achievements.”