“Scumbags” – Experts condemn disgraceful attack from fan on Mathieu van der Poel during Paris-Roubaix hat-trick

Mathieu van der Poel etched his name even deeper into cycling folklore today, claiming a historic third consecutive Paris-Roubaix title with a dominant display that cemented his status as arguably the finest cobbled specialist the sport has ever seen.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider powered to victory after a dramatic day in northern France, leaving behind a stricken Tadej Pogacar, who crashed during his much-anticipated debut at the Hell of the North.

However, the headlines weren’t all about Van der Poel’s brilliance. Shockingly, the Dutchman became the target of a spectator's reckless act when a bottle was thrown at him while he was riding solo at the front. The bottle narrowly missed causing serious harm, bouncing away without disrupting his rhythm too much.

“Scumbags,” raged Adam Blythe on TNT Sports, clearly appalled by the senseless act.

"Who on earth comes to a bike race to do that? What are you playing at?" added a visibly stunned Rob Hatch during TNT Sports’ live commentary.

Fortunately, Van der Poel continued unfazed, surging ahead to cross the line solo and secure his place in the history books with a third straight win at Roubaix, a feat matched by two other greats.

"Just scumbags," continued Blythe. "I can't believe someone is doing this. It's just beyond belief. Good news is it didn’t affect him – but yeah, disgusting. Just do one. Don’t bother coming out."