In the past, riders such as Bart Wellens, Richard Groenendaal and Sven Nys have had spats with fans who criticize and boo them throughout races. This Saturday it was
Mathieu van der Poel who was involved in one, spitting on a fan who also reportedly threw beer and urine to him.
Adrie van der Poel asks that that the audience control their behaviour to prevent such situations.
"It indicates the level of people we are dealing with here. Look, it's simple. If you don't have the discipline to stop after two beers, stay home. And watch the race from the comfort of your own home," the father of Mathieu van der Poel said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. “Personally, I have never been confronted with it. But over the years the phenomenon has apparently reared its head more and more.”
