CNN
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A spectator who threw a bottle at cyclist Mathieu van der Poel during a race surrendered to Flemish police on Monday, the West Flanders deputy public prosecutor confirmed to CNN Sports.
The 2023 world road champion cyclist had a plastic bottle launched at his face roughly 20.5 miles (33 kilometers) from the end of Paris-Roubaix race, which takes place near the Belgian border. The Belgian-born Dutchman went on to win the event.
“It’s not normal. It was a full bottle, it’s maybe half a kilogram (one pound) and I rode 50 kph (about 31 mph). It was like a stone hitting my face,” van der Poel said after Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, per Reuters.
“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,” the cyclist – who is the only man to win world championships in three disciplines (cyclo-cross, gravel and road) – added.
Lies De Bondt, Deputy Public Prosecutor for West Flanders (Belgium), confirmed to CNN that “the suspect voluntarily turned himself in to the Belgian police.”
In a statement on X, Lille public prosecutor Carole Etienne said: “The Lille public prosecutor’s office has not yet received the victim’s complaint.
“An investigation has been opened into the charge of violence with a weapon in order to identify and arrest the accused,” she added.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck Cycling Team said in a statement sent to CNN that Sunday’s incident represents an “escalation of earlier incidents.”
“We are relieved that Mathieu remained unharmed and confirm that, as a team, we will be filing an official complaint against the perpetrator to formally denounce this behavior.”
The team added that “the misbehavior of a few individuals can have far-reaching consequences. It jeopardizes the safety of our riders, overshadows the enjoyment and reputation of genuine cycling enthusiasts, and diverts attention from the sporting achievements.”
The world governing body for sports cycling, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), said in a statement that it “unanimously condemn(s), in the strongest terms, the unacceptable behaviour of a spectator during the 122nd edition of Paris-Roubaix from the side of the road on 13 April.”
It added: “With 33 kilometres to go, this spectator on the roadside threw a water bottle in the direction of Dutch cyclist Mathieu Van der Poel, hitting him in the face. 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.”
This year, Van der Poel became the third person in history to win three consecutive Paris-Roubaix titles.