Man who threw bottle at Mathieu van der Poel during the Paris-Roubaix race issued an apology

A 28-year-old man from Belgium has apologised after throwing a plastic bottle at former world champion Mathieu van der Poel during the Paris-Roubaix race. 

The incident sparked a criminal investigation by French authorities. The man, who is from Waregem, admitted that it was a “stupid and dangerous” act done in a moment of impulse and said he deeply regretted his actions.

The man said: “I am so happy that he crossed the finish line first on Sunday, despite my stupid action… A water bottle was in the grass. I picked it up and threw it when he passed. Without thinking. Half a second later, I realised how stupid and dangerous it was.” 

The man also confessed that he had “drunk a lot” that day, and said he felt ashamed for several days after the incident. He deeply regretted it and offered his sincere apologies to Van der Poel, the other cyclists, and cycling fans around the world. He admitted that his behaviour was unacceptable and went against the spirit of the sport.

French prosecutors launched an investigation into what they described as “violence with a weapon”.  Lille public prosecutor Carole Etienne confirmed that authorities were working to identify and arrest the suspect. Moreover, the International Cycling Union (UCI) condemned the act, calling it “unacceptable behaviour”.

The UCI stated: “Such behaviour cannot be tolerated in the context of a cycling event… We express our support for the rider and will explore all legal avenues to ensure such actions are duly and severely punished.” 

The cyclist van der Poel also stated after the race: “I hope they identify the person and press charges… throwing objects at riders who are giving their all — this has to stop immediately! Just enjoy the race!..I got hit in the face with a bottle at 50 kilometres per hour. That’s enough to break a jaw… We can’t just let that slide.” 

The athlete added: “It doesn’t destroy the fun I had, but it’s not normal… It was a full bottle, maybe half a kilogram, and I’m riding at 50kph. It was really like a stone hitting my face… 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.”

Regardless of the incident, Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel made history by winning the so-called“Hell of the North” race three times in a row, becoming only the third rider ever to achieve this feat.