French Justice officials began their investigation after Matthew Van der Poel threw a plastic bottle in his face when he won the third consecutive Paris Roubaix victory on Sunday.
“An investigation has been opened for liability for weapons violence to identify and arrest the perpetrator,” Lille Prosecutor Carol Etienne said in X.
“It’s not normal. It was a complete bottle. It was probably half a kilogram, I was on a 50kph, it was like a stone that hit my face.” “This is unacceptable. When they spit or throw beer, it’s not acceptable either, but that’s another story. This is really something we need to take legal action.”
Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported on Monday that spectators who launched the projectiles had surrendered to the Flanders police. and prosecutor Phillyp Jotz He spoke to BBC Sports“We can confirm that the man has presented himself to the police. An official report has been prepared. His statement has been recorded. The prosecutor’s office will decide what action should be taken in the next few days.”
UCI, the governing body of cycling, has expressed support for the former world champion. “[We] “We unanimously condemn the unacceptable behaviour of the audience in the 122nd edition of Paris Roubaix, April 13th, from the side of the road,” he said in a statement.
“Representatives from the UCI and cycling families will express their support for riders and work with competent authorities to explore all legal channels that have been punished at their freedom, as such actions have already been in the past.
Alpecin-Deceuninck said he was seeking sanctions by throwing a bottle late Monday, describing it as a “dangerous and unacceptable incident.”
“We will submit official complaints against the perpetrators in order to formally condemn this behavior,” the team’s statement read. “This issue goes beyond that single act. Often we find that such misconduct is either caused by excessive alcohol consumption or involves it. It puts our rider’s safety at risk, obscures the fun and reputation of real cycling enthusiasts, and distracts attention from the achievements of the sport.”
