"I was ashamed of my own region" - Mathieu van der Poel's teammate shocked by boos and spitting during E3 Saxo Classic
Cycling
The E3 Saxo Classic was the Mathieu van der Poel show last week but not everyone in Belgium was excited to see the Dutchman dominate the competition once again. His right-hand man Gianni Vermeersch, a local, was ashamed that the cyclocross and gravel World Champion was booed and spat on during the race.
"We never really talk about it. But I know that this does something to Mathieu," Vermeersch said in words to Het Nieuwsblad. "When we rode to the podium before the start, there was a lot of booing. I was ashamed of my own region where I grew up, while I would have liked to be proud that the Tour was back in Bruges."
Vermeersch is a rider that is in strong form and for the past few years has been key to van der Poel's success in the spring classics. But whilst he would otherwise be fully motivated to race close to home in the most important events for him, he now has mixed feelings after seeing how his teammate is treated by a few fans on the road.
"Mathieu said at the time that he thought it was a shame that the public reacted like that. Such a beautiful moment as the start is overshadowed by that," he argues. "I even took it personally, I couldn't believe that this was happening. I was deeply ashamed."
This Sunday at the Tour of Flanders the riders will be going through the exact same area, and Vermeersch hopes that the Dutchman doesn't once again come out of the day with reasons to complain over the behaviour of fans - something that in cyclocross is also seen at times.
"I hope that people behave. The best thing would be to personally address those people about their behavior, but it is often herd behavior. What Mathieu has achieved in the meantime is even more impressive than then," he concludes. "I hope that the public sees that and will now use their common sense."
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💥 Get ready for the 109th @RondeVlaanderen this Sunday!
— Alpecin-Deceuninck Cycling Team (@AlpecinDCK) April 4, 2025
Mathieu van der Poel, our 3-time winner and defending champion, is prepared for another epic showdown. Mathieu and teammates are focused and ready to tackle the iconic cobbles and Flemish hills.
As always, MvdP is… pic.twitter.com/BC6X7nmRb9
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