During Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix, Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel was hit in the face by a full water bottle. Although he went on to win the race, he has called for legal action. The man who threw the bottle has since turned himself in to police in Waregem, West Flanders. The public prosecutor’s office confirmed the report, but declined to reveal his identity.
The 28-year-old suspect, reportedly from West Flanders, told a local cycling fan group that he had acted in a moment of madness and deeply regretted his actions. He had been travelling with a bus of supporters of Slovenian rider Matej Mohorič, although he wasn’t a member of the fan club.
The group confronted him after the incident; he denied it at first, then confessed, saying he was ashamed. The fan club insisted that he turn himself in to the authorities.
The man was said to be emotionally distraught following a recent personal loss. It is unclear whether he was under the influence at the time.
Van der Poel, who was hit with 32 kilometres to go, called for legal action. “This can’t go unpunished. It was a full bottle – it really hurt. If it had hit my nose it would’ve been broken. This should be prosecuted. It’s attempted manslaughter. If the UCI doesn’t take action, our team could pursue it.
