Cyclist accuses spectator of 'attempted manslaughter' after 'appalling' act during race

Cycling star Mathieu van der Poel has accused a spectator who slung a bottle at him during the Paris-Roubaix of 'attempted manslaughter'.

Shocking footage captured the moment the Dutch athlete, 30, was struck in the face by the flying object which was hurled by a bloke watching the pivotal race.

He was around 33km from the finish line at the Roubaix Velodrome when a man watching from the sidelines threw the yellow bottle at him on Sunday (13 April).

Thankfully, Van der Poel didn't bottle it despite the stunt - which he said felt like 'a stone hitting his face' - and he went on to win the Paris-Roubaix.

It marks his third time triumphing in the gruelling 259.2km one-day classic in a row, putting him on par with cycling legends Octave Lapize and Francesco Moser, who previously set this record.

But his big moment was somewhat overshadowed by the bottle incident.

Mathieu van der Poel was seen flinching as the bottle struck him in the face (X/@NBCSCycling)

The video shows a host of spectators crowded around the road Van der Poel was flying up on his bike - dubbed 'The Hell of the North' due to the difficult terrain - while the crowd cheered the cyclist on as he neared the last leg.

But suddenly, an outstretched arm clutching a bottle is seen emerging from the swarm of supporters, before the object was chucked towards the former world champion.

He appeared to flinch as it made contact with his face, but he incredibly managed to stay steady on his bike and continued to outpace his opponents.

But after getting the job done and winning the Paris-Roubaix, Van der Poel had plenty to say about what went down.

"We can't let this pass," he told Sporza. "It was a full water bottle and it hurt a lot. If I get that water bottle on my nose, it's broken.

"Hopefully the police can identify the man, because there has to be a trial for this. This is attempted manslaughter.

"If the UCI [Union Cycliste Internationale] does not take action, then we will do it with the team. This is something different than throwing beer."

During his post-race press conference, Van der Poel offered further insight into how he planned to deal with the bottle thrower.

"It doesn’t destroy the fun I had but it’s not normal," he said. "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, if they spit or throw beer it’s still unacceptable - but that's a different story. This is something we have to take legal action on."

The spectator has since handed himself into Belgian police, according to the BBC, although his identity has not been made public.

Public prosecutor Filiep Jodts told the publication: "We can confirm that the man presented himself to the police.

"An official report was drawn up, in which his statement was recorded. The Public Prosecution Service will decide in the coming days what action should be taken."

Lille public prosecutor Carole Etienne had shared a post on X earlier today (14 April), suggesting that the spectator had still not yet been identified, but confirmed a probe has now been launched by French authorities.

The 30-year-old still managed to win his third Paris-Roubaix in a row despite the incident (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

She wrote: "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."

The UCI, cycling's governing body, shared a statement in support of Van der Poel on Monday.

It said: "The Union Cycliste Internationale and the associations representing the families of cycling unanimously condemn, 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.

"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."

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