Mathieu van der Poel phenomenally won Paris-Roubaix for the second time. Unfortunately, he also had to deal with unsportsmanlike fans again.
Once again this spring, the world champion became the target of ‘supporters’ who did not know how to behave.
For instance, beer was thrown at him, but what happened 42 kilometers from the finish line defies imagination.
A female supporter apparently could not stomach Van der Poel riding solo in the lead so much that she attempted to bring him down by throwing a cap towards his wheel.
Fortunately, Van der Poel stayed upright, but had his wheel actually blocked, it could have ended much worse.
During the race, Van der Poel paid it no mind, and after finishing, he didn’t want to say much about the incident.
“Those people are dealing with some frustration, I think. I don’t want to pay much attention to it and give it any focus,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.
It is certainly not the first time Van der Poel has had to deal with misbehaving supporters.
During the E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders, he was also greeted with boos, middle fingers, and beer cups. Last winter, we also saw such misconduct in cyclocross.
