Mathieu van der Poel is one of the greatest cyclists in the world, but not all cycling fans seem to be so thrilled. In the final kilometres of his brilliant solo E3 Saxo Classic, a spectator on the side of the road, who many are presuming to be Belgian, spat on the Dutch star. Van der Poel did not react to the incident, but he did comment on it after the race.
“There are people who should not come to watch the race. But, I can’t change anything about it myself,” he said. “That it is something that keeps repeating itself? Unfortunately, yes it is.”
Van der Poel’s history of angry spectators
This is far from the first time Mvdp has had to put up with this B.S. During the 2023 UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Hulst, people were throwing beer (or perhaps urine) at the ‘cross world champion as well. Ultimately, Mvdp spat at them, fed up with the constant harassment.
During the 2024 Paris-Roubaix, van der Poel—while riding to a solo victory—also had to deal with a spectator. TV footage revealed a woman throwing a cap toward the back wheel of the Dutch cyclist around 42 km before the finish. The footage, captured during the race, showed the spectator on the left side of the Dutch cyclist, appearing to toss the cap towards the rider’s wheels. Thankfully, van der Poel narrowly avoided any harm from the incident, but such reckless actions could have easily led to a crash or at least slowed him down had the cap gotten caught in his wheels. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was in a VIP tent near the road, where several companies had invited guests.
De Telegraaf reported that Belgian police have announced an investigation into the incident, and efforts are underway to identify the spectator and enforce appropriate consequences.
“We want to send a strong message that we will not tolerate such behavior. We urge supporters to express their passion for cycling in a respectful and sportsmanlike way during upcoming races,” the local chief of police said. “Cycling is a part of our heritage, and everyone involved—whether it’s the marshals, police, emergency workers, or the athletes themselves—deserves respect from the spectators. Anyone who can help identify the person in the photo is encouraged to contact our services.”
